LVMWD and CASA on Air!
CASA’s Jessica Gauger joined the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) for an interview with KCLU, a local national public radio station for the Central California Coast to talk wipes! Listen to the interview and check out the news article here.

 

Drought Assistance Available from U.S. EPA
California DroughtIf your water system has been affected by the ongoing drought, U.S. EPA may be able to help. U.S. EPA is coordinating with federal and state partners to assist water and wastewater utilities with identifying possible drought mitigation strategies, as well as to help utilities understand the types of funding available. Eligible projects can include the following: aquifer storage and recovery, deeper wells, water reuse, alternative water sources, flood diversion and storage, leak detection projects, and more. To receive assistance, email your utility name, city, state and phone number to DroughtQuestions@epa.gov. U.S. EPA will contact you and guide you through the various sources of assistance. Additional information and resources can be found on the attached flyer.

 

Notice of Charleston Flushable Wipes Settlement
The federal district court in Charleston, South Carolina, has given preliminary approval to a proposed Class Action Settlement between Plaintiff Charleston Water System and Defendant Kimberly-Clark Corporation (“Kimberly-Clark”) addressing Kimberly-Clark’s flushable and non-flushable wipe products.  CASA has been provided the notice of preliminary approval to share with our members for their review as a condition of the settlement.

The settlement does not affect any potential individual claims against wipe manufacturers for damages or other monetary relief due to wipes-related blockages. However, if approved, Kimberly-Clark will implement certain modifications to its business practices with respect to flushable wipes, as well as labeling requirements for non-flushable wipes, and Settlement Class Members will release all claims for injunctive relief they may have against Kimberly-Clark arising from or relating to Plaintiff’s allegations. The settlement is available for review here.

The settlement ensures that Kimberly-Clark’s Cottonelle Flushable Wipes will meet a national municipal flushability standard for flushable wipes and Kimberly-Clark will provide much improved notice on its packages of non-flushable wipes that such wipes should not be flushed.  In combination they are hopeful that this settlement will significantly reduce collection system impacts from Kimberly-Clark’s products, and eventually other manufacturers’ products, given that this settlement will set a precedent/standard for the rest of the industry.

The settlement ensures that Kimberly-Clark’s Cottonelle Flushable Wipes will meet a national municipal flushability standard for flushable wipes and Kimberly-Clark will provide much improved notice on its packages of non-flushable wipes that such wipes should not be flushed. In combination they are hopeful that this settlement will significantly reduce collection system impacts from Kimberly-Clark’s products, and eventually other manufacturers’ products, given that this settlement will set a precedent/standard for the rest of the industry.