Water

Pluris Wedgefield Water Contamination Settlement

Utility companies Pluris Wedgefield, LLC, Pluris Holdings, LLC, and Pluris Wedgefield, Inc. have agreed to a $3.3 million settlement of a class action about contaminants in water supplies. The complaint alleged that in the process of disinfecting the water to be supplied to customers, to remove viruses and other microbes, byproduct contaminants were introduced, at  Read more

Mission Springs Water District Billing Settlement

The Mission Springs Water District, which provides water in Desert Hot Springs, California, is settling a class action alleging that it billed water customers based on estimates of use rather than operational metered use.  Read more

Johnson Utilities Water Rate Increase Settlement

Johnson Utilities, LLC is paying $10.35 million to resolve a class action alleging the company unlawfully raised its water and wastewater rates by bribing a state regulator.  Read more

Flint Water Crisis Settlement

The City of Flint switched its water source to the Flint River in 2014. Since then, thousands of lawsuits have alleged that when the switch was made, the water was not treated correctly, and that the Flint River water caused pipes to corrode, releasing lead and other contaminants into the water. The complaint alleged that  Read more

Roseville, MI Stormwater Charges Settlement

The City of Roseville, Michigan is settling a class action challenging its imposition of stormwater charges on owners of real property. The class action alleged that the stormwater charges were not proper fees but taxes that were imposed to raise revenue in violation of the Headlee Amendment and the Prohibited Taxes by Cities and Villages  Read more

Firefighting Foam Peshtigo, Wisconsin Settlement

This settlement resolves a class action against Tyco Fire Products, LP, Chemguard, Inc., and ChemDesign Products, Inc. by residents of the town of Pestigo, Wisconsin. The complaint alleged that the companies are responsible for releases of perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), into groundwater at the Fire Technology Center or  Read more

Madison Heights, MI Stormwater Service Charges Settlement

The City of Madison Heights, Michigan is settling a class action alleging that its stormwater charge to property owners should be refunded. The complaint alleged that the stormwater charge, which was imposed on property owners to recover costs assessed on the city by Oakland County, was not a proper user fee but a tax, and  Read more

Connecticut MDC Water Bill Surcharge Settlement

This settlement resolves a class action against a Connecticut Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) for applying non-member surcharges to water bills in four towns: East Granby, Farmington, Glastonbury, and South Windsor. The complaint alleged that the surcharges breached contracts between MDC and its customers. The surcharges totaled $7,518,153, and MDC will pay up to $7,680,000 to  Read more

Water Companies and Reports of Contaminants Class Action

This class action concerns water and companies that supply it—American Water Works Company, Inc., Pennsylvania-American Water Company, and New Jersey American Water. The complaint says that, first, the companies do not disclose all the contaminants present in the water they supply. Second, it says that the plaintiff’s house was flooded with water and sediment from  Read more

Oak Park, Michigan Water Rates Settlement

The City of Oak Park, Michigan is having to pay a sizeable settlement in the settlement of a class action alleging that the city mischarged residents for water and sewer services. The complaint alleged that two components of the city’s charges are unfair: a Kuhn Facility debt service charge and a storm water disposal charge.  Read more