Maryland Couple Files Flushable Wipes Lawsuit Against CVS

By Joanna Szabo | September 23, 2015

Category: Consumer News

A Maryland couple recently filed a product liability lawsuit against CVS Pharmacy for their Flushable Cleansing Wipes, which they allege damages plumbing and sewer systems when flushed down toilets.

Plaintiffs Steven and Ellen P., residents of Bethesda, Maryland, filed a flushable wipes lawsuit against CVS Health and Nice-Pak Products Inc.

In the lawsuit, they claim that the CVS brand flushable wipes are not actually flushable, and cause “serious problems” in both home plumbing systems and in municipality sewer systems when flushed.

According to the flushable wipes lawsuit, media reports have indicated that these CVS flushable wipes fail to break down adequately like regular toilet paper.

The couple claims in the flushable wipes lawsuit that they would not have purchased the wipes if they had known beforehand that the wipes would cause any damage to their home plumbing system or the municipality sewer systems when flushed. The very name of the CVS product indicates that the wipes should be safe and effective to flush down the toilet like regular toilet paper.

Steven and Ellen P. are seeking class certification for all consumers who have purchased the CVS flushable wipes. The flushable wipes lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages for these consumers, as well as necessary court costs.

What are Flushable Wipes?

Wet wipes are moist towelettes that are marketed as adult wipes for adult personal hygiene, as well as baby wipes, which are used to clean babies during diaper changing. The wet wipes industry brings in approximately $6 billion each year, and sales have been increasing at a steady rate of about 5 to 6 percent each year since 2007.

Flushable wet wipes make up a substantial portion of this industry, as the purported convenience of being able to flush dirty wipes down the toilet instead of dealing with them indoors is appealing to many consumers.

However, wastewater treatment officials across the United States have begun reporting an increased number of problems with municipal sewer systems such as sewer backups, pump breakdowns, and overflows. The increased number of these kinds of sewer problems has been traced back to supposedly flushable wet wipes, including baby wipes and adult wipes.

Flushable wipes are designed to be strong and cleanse effectively. The material they are made with is not intended to disintegrate immediately after flushing.

A Consumer Reports test published in 2013 looked at the effectiveness of four major flushable wipes brands. The test found that, when placed in a standing mixer, it took at least 10 minutes to break the wipes into small pieces fit for a travelling through a sewer pipe without harming it.

The act of flushing these wipes down a toilet does not disintegrate the wipes to nearly the same extent, and the study indicates it would not successfully break the wipes apart. The report concluded that, in order to save their plumbing systems, consumers should not flush these flushable wipes.

Flushable Wipes Lawsuits

According to the companies that manufacture and market these flushable wipes, their products are flushable and safe for plumbing as originally promoted. Customers across the U.S. who have used and flushed these products have reportedly had to deal with expensive repairs involving clogged toilets and pipes, as well as backed up septic tanks that cause flooding and other kinds of serious property damage.

Many consumers are choosing to file flushable wipes lawsuits against these companies. If you or someone you know has used these flushable wipes that have damaged your plumbing, you may have reason to file a flushable wipes lawsuit.

The CVS Flushable Wipes lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-02928 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.