Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

May 19, 2011

Yarmouth co. target of lawsuit

By The Mainebiz News Staff

A Yarmouth-based water treatment company is being sued by a Naples couple for falsifying test results for the couple's water supply.

Portland law firm Preti Flaherty filed the lawsuit against Water Treatment Equipment Inc. in Yarmouth, as well as Culligan International Co. in Illinois, on behalf of Theodore and Stacey Sawyer, according to a press release. Filed last week in Cumberland County Superior Court, the lawsuit alleges Water Treatment Equipment falsified the results of a water test to show satisfactory levels of uranium, when in fact the uranium content was seven times above the recommended amount. In April 2008, the Sawyers purchased a Culligan water system from Water Treatment Equipment to remove the uranium from their water and did not discover the falsified results until August 2009, when they put their home on the market. The suit charges the company with violating Maine's Unfair Trade Practices Act, fraud, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, breach of warranty and other charges. The suit seeks unspecified damages for emotional distress, diminution in value of the couple's home and costs for medical monitoring.

Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated Water Treatment Equipment employee Daryl Quinn, who was then charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office with one count of felony mail fraud. He pleaded guilty to the charge in November.

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

Comments

Order a PDF