Kimberly-Clark Faces New Lawsuit Over PFAS Contamination of New Milford Waterways

Kimberly-Clark Corp., manufacturer of consumer brands like Huggies and Kleenex, has been sued over alleged contamination of drinking water and the Housatonic River in New Milford, Connecticut, with toxic "forever chemicals" (PFAS) from an unlined landfill used by the company from 1969 to 2010. The lawsuit, filed in October 2025, claims elevated PFOS and PFOA levels far exceeding EPA safety standards were found in local wells during 2024 testing. The landfill, located across from the plaintiff’s home, was reportedly used to dispose of paper sludge from Kimberly-Clark’s manufacturing waste. The suit accuses the company of violating environmental laws by allowing PFAS to leach into groundwater and surface water, posing health risks including cancer and other diseases. Kimberly-Clark denies using PFAS in its U.S. products and plans vigorous legal defense. Local authorities are also named for allegedly failing to investigate the contamination adequately. This is the second lawsuit related to PFAS contamination linked to Kimberly-Clark in the area.