Flushable Wipes Lawsuit

The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan investigated potential
lawsuits on behalf of consumers who used flushable wipes and experienced
plumbing problems, including toilet clogs. Although these wipes are
often labeled as flushable, biodegradable, and sewer and septic safe, it
is believed that some of these products do not actually break down in
water and can cause serious plumbing problems.

Reportedly, consumers
have spent hundreds of dollars unclogging blocked pipes, while
wastewater treatment plants have spent millions repairing and replacing
machinery that could not process the wipes.

Online, consumers have given brands like Kleenex Cottonelle, Wet Ones,
and Charmin negative reviews, claiming that they were forced to spend
hundreds of dollars to unclog their pipes after using the flushable
wipes.

Homeowners have reported the following issues with their plumbing
systems after using these wipes:

Toilet clogs

Increased utility rates

Septic backups in bathrooms, showers, and basements

Septic system failure

Even if the wipes are used sparingly, they can still cause plumbing
problems, according to consumers. One reviewer claimed he experienced a
toilet clog after using just one wipe.

Water Treatment Plants Also Reporting Problems

Following the same route as all other waste, the wipes travel through
household pipes, sewer pumps, and arrive at water treatment plants,
which have also reported problems after wipes clogged and damaged
existing sewer pumps.

City officials from the outskirts of Washington, D.C. told the
Washington Post that flushable wipes may be responsible for a 35
percent increase in broken pumps and clogged sewer lines they’ve seen
over the last few years. In addition, the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission said that hundreds of man hours have been wasted removing
wipes and repairing broken equipment. Last year, the commission
reportedly spent $1 million installing a special grinding system, which
is meant to shred wipes and other non-flushable debris before they could
reach sewer pumps.

Wipes from Kleenex Cottonelle, Charmin, and Scott were put to the test
by ConsumerReports.org, which found that although these products
had labels stating that they were safe for septics and would break up
after flushing, the wipes remained intact for at least 10 minutes after
they were immersed in water. In contrast, the same test showed toilet
paper breaking up within seconds.

Similar studies have been conducted by sewer officials in Vancouver,
Washington, after the city spent more than $1 million replacing several
sewage pumps that were routinely clogging due to wipes, according to the
Huffington Post. To test whether Kirkland flushable wipes actually
disintegrate in water, sewerage employees dyed them bright colors and
sent them through the sewer system for one mile. When the employees
checked the sewage further down the system, the colorful wipes were
still intact, with the “flushable” wipes only showing minor rips and
tears.

The Federal Trade commission recently asked for data to help conduct an
investigation into the “flushable” label.

We are no longer taking cases for flushable wipes, but our product liability attorneys are committed to holding manufacturers who used false or misleading labels on their products responsible for any resulting damages. Visit classaction.com to read the latest news affecting consumers. Our class action page shows our active investigations into dangerous drugs and defective products.