A US Federal judge has given the go-ahead for a class action suit, launched against several manufacturers of flushable wipes, including Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, according to a report published by the Cincinnati Business Courier.

The suit is open only to applicants who purchased the contentious wipes in the state of New York and will be divided into groups according to the product purchased: P&G’s Charmin Freshmates, any flushable wipes from Kimberly-Clark’s portfolio and Kirkland Signature wipes from Costco.

The wipes are said to have caused back-ups across the US sewer systems, causing wastewater to escape sewer overflows. Complainants contend that the wipes are falsely marketed as ‘flushable’.