Recently, water seeped into my basement and wreaked havoc in my recreation room. The culprit turned out to be a build up of debris in my window well -- mostly plastic bags that had been blown there by the wind, causing water to pool and leak into the basement. Now the insurance company is saying the damage isn't covered. Why not? -- Drained but not Dry

Dear Drained:

I hate to throw more cold water on your predicament, but unfortunately, your insurance doesn't cover this type of damage. That's not to say your policy doesn't cover ANY water damage. Most policies cover damage caused by water emanating from one of four sources:

1) water that has escaped from a watermain,
2) water from overflowing plumbing, heating, sprinkler or air conditioning systems or appliances inside your house,
3) water coming from appliances located outside your house, except when caused by freezing, and
4) water which enters your house through an opening such as a storm-damaged roof or window.

In other words, insurance covers damage that is caused by "sudden and accidental discharge," as insurers call it. For example, if you forget about the water running in the bathtub while you go to answer the phone, you won't end up in hot water, at least insurance-wise. The damage from the overflow would be covered.

Since your recreation room wasn't damaged as a result of water that had escaped from any of the sources listed above, it is not covered. Therefore, it is important to ensure proper maintenance such as cleaning out your window wells and making sure pipes are clear and intact. Otherwise, you might take a soaking in more ways than one!