A new class action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court claims that popular home water filtration company, Brita, is misleading consumers about the ability of its products to reduce common drinking water contaminants.
The class action complaint alleges that Brita products create an illusion of protection and do not filter contaminants such as arsenic, nitrate, hexavalent chromium and certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from tap water despite its claims to “transform your water.”
LA County resident Nicholas Brown launched the class action after being disappointed by his Brita EveryDay Water Pitcher with the standard filter that he purchased in 2022. The complaint states that Brown has no scientific knowledge or expertise when it comes to tap water contaminants. He instead relied on the claims made on the Brita product’s labels and packaging that the filter would remove or reduce contaminants to below lab detectable limits.
“Unfortunately, the products are not nearly as effective as defendant deliberately leads people to believe, causing consumers to overpay millions and forego more effective alternatives,” states the complaint. “In this way, defendant has not only bilked millions of dollars from consumers in illgotten gains, but defendant has put the health and welfare of millions of consumers and their families at risk.”
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Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Brita’s filtration products have not been registered with the California State Water Resources Control Board, nor certified to remove or reduce health-hazardous contaminants, bringing the legality of the marketing claims such as “Reduces 3X Contaminants” even further into question.
The proposed class action would cover California consumers who have purchased the Brita filters in the past four years.
Brita is owned by Clorox Co., which is headquartered in California. Last week, the company released a statement on the allegations: “Brita takes the transparency of the variety of water filtration options we offer seriously,” the statement said. The company also attempted to reassure the public that its products are “certified to reduce identified contaminants as communicated.”
The class action seeks damages and other remedies.
