Brooklyn dentist plans to sue moistened wipes manufacturers, claiming that they have been clogging his pipes, reports the New York Post.
Dr. Joseph Kurtz of Flatbush is suing Cottonelle and the manufacturers of Costco-brand wipes in Brooklyn federal court.
“They do not break down as manufacturers advertise,” Kurtz said in the filed suit.
Kurtz spent $600 on plumbers to clear the pipes in two of his homes in New York and New Jersey. According the the Post, ‘flushable wipes’ manufacturers made $6 billion in sales this year.
The wipes are advertised as safe to be flushed down the toilet after use.
Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Vincent Sapienza, agreed that the wipes are a burden.
Sapienza says the wipes are the main reason for the increase in debris caught in machinery at the city’s wastewater-treatment plants in the past few years, contributing to the $18 million the city spends on cleaning out the debris.
“They’re gumming up our works,” he told the Post. “Our guys are continually having to take pumps apart because they get clogged. We stopped being surprised, but it’s a lot of work.”
Friends Read Free