Almost 4,000 people in England and Wales are taking legal action over what they allege is six years of sewage pollution that has devastated three rivers, including the Wye.
In the largest environmental group action of recent times, 3,943 residents and business owners are seeking substantial damages from Welsh Water and the leading chicken producers Avara Foods Ltd and Freemans of Newent Ltd, alleging they are responsible for “extensive and widespread pollution” in the Wye, Lugg and Usk.
The group wants a court to order the companies take remedial action to clean up the rivers, which are supposed to be protected for their importance to rare wildlife, including otters, freshwater pearl mussels and Atlantic salmon.
The state of the Wye has become a symbol of the poor state of rivers in England and Wales, which are suffering from a toxic cocktail of pollution from sewage and agricultural runoff. No river in England is in a good biological and chemical state as a result of pollution. Salmon – a leading indicator of river health – have been devastated in the Wye with catches from the last five seasons being the worst on record.
