Settlement reached in plumbing defect lawsuit

Home builder Del Webb and its Coventry brand agreed to pay $27.2 million to 6,617 homeowners in a class-action plumbing defect lawsuit, an attorney representing the homeowners said today.

District Court Judge Timothy Williams approved the final settlement as “fair, reasonable and adequate” to satisfy Del Webb’s liability in the case, said William Coulthard of Kemp, Jones and Coulthard.

“We commend Del Webb and we’re hopeful as class counsel that these other builders step up and do the right thing for homeowners and settle this case,” Coulthard said.

Several builders, including Richmond American, Woodside and Rhodes, have already reached settlement agreements. Preliminary settlement negotiation with 25 other builders are scheduled to begin next week, Coulthard said.

The Del Webb settlement is in addition to the previous $90 million settlement with IPEX, the Canada-based manufacturer of the faulty Kitec plumbing fixtures. The lawsuit alleges that the Kitec fittings corroded through a chemical reaction called “dezincification,” causing leaks and breaks in water pipes.