Property owners in the Wye, Lugg and Usk catchments are joining a groundbreaking legal claim aimed at holding the alleged polluters of the rivers Wye, Lugg and Usk to account and restoring the health of the rivers.

The legal action, led by law firm Leigh Day, is being brought by more than 3,600 individuals and businesses against Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the Avara Foods poultry group (including Avara Foods and Freemans of Newent), for their alleged role in polluting the rivers.

A significant number of the claimants are riverside property owners, particularly those with riparian rights – legal rights tied to land adjoining a watercourse.

“What many property owners don’t realise is that if their land borders a river, they are likely to have riparian rights,” said Emily Hay, a solicitor at Leigh Day. “These rights include the entitlement to receive water in its natural, unpolluted state. This means that if your land borders a river, you are likely to be entitled to bring a claim for the damage to your part of the river.”

But it’s not just riparian rights holders who can take action.

“We also represent many property owners who live near to sewage works or intensive poultry units and report being affected by foul odours, noise, and insect swarms,” Emily Hay explained. “Others have fishing rights but say they have lost the ability to enjoy them because of declining fish catches and algal blooms which the claimants will claim are caused by the pollution.”

Ian lives near the River Wye, which was one of the main reasons he chose his home. However, something that once felt like a benefit has now become a cause for concern. Ian said: “I bought this house for its closeness to the river - but the smell and visible pollution has ruined that.”

As part of the legal claim, claimants are seeking for a court to order Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the Avara Foods poultry group to end their alleged pollution and to clean up the rivers Wye, Lugg and Usk. The claimants are also seeking compensation for any losses they claim they have suffered.

“This group action is a rare opportunity to hold large companies to account for the environmental harm they are said to have caused,” said Emily Hay. “Whether you’re a landowner, a fishing or property rights-holder, or simply someone who used to use the river a lot and cares about stopping pollution and protecting the rivers, this is a way to make your voice heard.”

The more members of the community who join the claim, the more likely it is that the court will order the Avara Foods poultry group and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to stop polluting and restore the rivers, if they are found to be responsible.

To join the claim or find out more about the environmental impact of the pollution and the group legal action visit www.leighday.co.uk/riverwyeclaim.