Contingencies and Environmental Remediation

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2012

Contingencies and Environmental Remediation

Contingencies and Environmental Remediation

9.Contingencies and Environmental Remediation

As disclosed in Part I, Item 1, “Product Liability, Environmental and Other Litigation Matters” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company was party to certain litigation.  There have been no material developments with respect to the Company’s contingencies and environmental remediation proceedings during the quarter ended April 1, 2012 except as noted below.

On March 8, 2012, Watts Water Technologies, Inc., Watts Regulator Co., and Watts Plumbing Technologies, Inc. were named as defendants in a putative nationwide class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to recover damages and other relief based on the alleged failure of toilet connectors.  The complaint seeks among other items, damages in an unspecified amount, replacement costs, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

The Company is unable to estimate a range of reasonably possible loss for the above matter in which damages have not been specified because: (i) the proceedings are in the early stages; (ii) there is uncertainty as to the likelihood of a class being certified or the ultimate size of the class; (iii) there is uncertainty as to pending motions; (iv) there are significant factual issues to be resolved; and (v) there are novel legal issues presented.  However, based on information currently known to the Company, it does not believe that these proceedings will have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations, cash flows or liquidity.