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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
We use letters of credit and surety bonds in the ordinary course of business to ensure the performance of contractual obligations. As of September 30, 2025, we had $11.1 million of letters of credit and $13.5 million of surety bonds outstanding.
We are involved in various legal proceedings that have arisen in the normal course of operations, including the proceedings summarized below. We provide for costs relating to these matters when a loss is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable. Legal and administrative costs related to these matters are expensed as incurred. The effect of the outcome of these matters on our financial statements cannot be predicted with certainty as any such effect depends on the amount and timing of the resolution of such matters. Other than the litigation described below, we do not believe that any of our outstanding litigation would have a materially adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows or liquidity.
Environmental. We are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations concerning the protection of the environment, both with respect to the operations at many of our properties and with respect to remediating environmental conditions that may exist at our own or other properties. We accrue for environmental expenses resulting from existing conditions that relate to past operations when the costs are probable and reasonably estimable.
In the acquisition agreement pursuant to which a predecessor to Tyco International plc, now Johnson Controls International plc (“Tyco”), sold our businesses to a previous owner in August 1999, Tyco agreed to indemnify us and our affiliates, among other things, for all “Excluded Liabilities.” Excluded Liabilities include, among other things, substantially all liabilities relating to the time prior to August 1999, including environmental liabilities. The indemnity survives indefinitely. Tyco’s indemnity does not cover liabilities to the extent caused by us or the operation of our businesses after August 1999, nor does it cover liabilities arising with respect to businesses or sites acquired after August 1999. Since 2007, Tyco has engaged in multiple corporate restructurings, split-offs and divestitures. While none of these transactions directly affects the indemnification
obligations of the Tyco indemnitors under the 1999 acquisition agreement, the result of such transactions is that the assets of, and control over, such Tyco indemnitors has changed. Should any of these Tyco indemnitors become financially unable or fail to comply with the terms of the indemnity, we may be responsible for such obligations or liabilities.
The purchaser of U.S. Pipe has been identified as a “potentially responsible party” (“PRP”) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act in connection with a former manufacturing facility operated by U.S. Pipe that was in the vicinity of a proposed Superfund site located in North Birmingham, Alabama. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement relating to our sale of U.S. Pipe, we agreed to indemnify the purchaser for certain environmental liabilities, including those arising out of the former manufacturing site in North Birmingham. Accordingly, the purchaser tendered the matter to us for indemnification, which we accepted. Ultimate liability for the site will depend on many factors that have not yet been determined, including the determination of the Environmental Protection Agency’s remediation costs, the number and financial viability of the other PRPs (there are three other PRPs currently) and the determination of the final allocation of the costs among the PRPs. Since the amounts of such costs cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, no amounts have been accrued for this matter as of September 30, 2025.
CBP Matter. On October 4, 2024, we delivered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) a prior disclosure letter to correct information reported at the time of entry under United States laws and customs regulations with respect to the origin of certain products that were supplied by a manufacturer in Canada but that we subsequently determined had not been substantially transformed in Canada, resulting in the underpayment of certain duties to CBP. We identified the entry discrepancies related to our U.S. import of such products and provided the information to CBP. We expensed $9.1 million in 2024 consisting of the duties and interest believed to be owed for all relevant periods. On May 8, 2025, CBP confirmed that the total amount due related to this matter was approximately $9.0 million, which was paid to CBP on May 13, 2025. This matter is now closed.
Cobb County Matter. On July 19, 2023, Henry Pratt Company, LLC d/b/a Hydro Gate (“Hydro Gate”) was served with a complaint joining it to a lawsuit originally filed by Cobb County Board of Commissioners (“Cobb County”) against Shea-Traylor, a Joint Venture related to the construction of South Cobb Tunnel Project No. S3017 in Cobb County, Georgia (“Project”) in the Superior Court of Cobb County. The lawsuit alleges that a product manufactured by Hydro Gate and used in the Project was defective, causing damage to the Project. Claims against Hydro Gate include breach of contract and contractual indemnity. There are five defendants named in the lawsuit. Cobb County alleged damages in excess of $39 million. The parties have participated in mediation, resulting in Hydro Gate offering a contribution of $15 million to settle the lawsuit (“Settlement Offer”). Hydro Gate anticipates that the Settlement Offer will be fully reimbursed by third parties upon settlement. As the settlement is probable and reasonably estimable, we have recorded a $15 million liability with a corresponding receivable as the amount is anticipated to be fully reimbursed by third parties. Further, we believe that the final outcome of this lawsuit will not have a material adverse effect on our business or prospects.
Cybersecurity Incident Putative Class Action. In connection with the class action lawsuit filed on August 30, 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division (“Court”), the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the Plaintiff on July 7, 2025, to provide credit monitoring, ordinary and extraordinary losses, lost time and alternative cash payment benefits subject to an overall aggregate cap of $285,000. The settlement agreement is subject to and is awaiting Court approval.
Indemnifications. We are a party to contracts in which it is common for us to agree to indemnify third parties for certain liabilities that arise out of or relate to the subject matter of the contract. In some cases, this indemnity extends to related liabilities arising from the negligence of the indemnified parties, but usually excludes any liabilities caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct. We cannot estimate the potential amount of future payments under these indemnities until events arise that would trigger a liability under the indemnities.
Additionally, in connection with the sale of assets and the divestiture of businesses, such as the divestitures of U.S. Pipe and Anvil, we may agree to indemnify buyers and related parties for certain losses or liabilities incurred by these parties with respect to: (i) the representations and warranties made by us to these parties in connection with the sale and (ii) liabilities related to the pre-closing operations of the assets or business sold. Indemnities related to pre-closing operations generally include certain environmental and tax liabilities and other liabilities not assumed by these parties in the transaction.
Indemnities related to the pre-closing operations of sold assets or businesses normally do not represent additional liabilities to us, but simply serve to protect these parties from potential liability associated with our obligations existing at the time of the sale. We have accrued for those pre-closing obligations that are considered probable and reasonably estimable. Should circumstances change, increasing the likelihood of payments related to a specific indemnity, we will accrue a liability when future payment is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable.
Other Matters. We monitor and analyze our warranty experience and costs periodically and may revise our accruals as necessary. Factors considered in our analyses include warranty terms, specific claim situations, general incurred and projected failure rates, the nature of product failures, product and labor costs, and general business conditions.
We are party to a number of lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of business, including product liability cases for products manufactured by us or third parties. While the results of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the final outcome of such other litigation is not likely to have a materially adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows or liquidity.