Defense
Unclogging Toilets at $400,000 a Flush Hits Navy’s Costs
- GAO says Navy underestimated maintenance costs by $130 billion
- Those costs add to questions on expanding 293-ship Navy to 355
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New toilets on the Navy’s two newest aircraft carriers clog so frequently that the ships’ sewage systems must be cleaned periodically with specialized acids costing about $400,000 a flush, according to a new congressional audit outlining $130 billion in underestimated long-term maintenance costs.
The Navy isn’t sure the toilet systems on the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS George H. W. Bush can withstand the demand without failing frequently, according to the watchdog agency’s report on service sustainment costs released Tuesday.