We are currently gathering information from affected residents, river users and businesses to better understand the impact of sewage pollution on their local communities.
If you believe sewage pollution has affected you, please register your interest here.
What is happening?
Sewage discharges have increasingly affected rivers and waterways across the UK. These incidents can harm wildlife, damage local environments, and affect the people and businesses who rely on clean rivers.
We are investigating whether those responsible can be held legally accountable.
Who might be affected?
You may be affected if you:
What happens next?
At this stage we are gathering information and registering interest from people who may have been affected.
If the investigation progresses, we will contact those who have registered to explain the next steps and whether they may be able to take part in the claim.
English bathing waters are currently among the worst in Europe. Of the 14 designated river bathing sites in England, 12 are currently rated 'poor' by the Environment Agency — its lowest possible rating. This means they have not met the standards required to minimise the risk of illness to bathers from faecal pollution. Exposure can cause severe stomach upsets and gastro-intestinal illness.
In 2024 alone, Surfers Against Sewage received 1,853 sickness reports through their monitoring app, with an average of five people getting sick per day after using the water.
There are generally three sources of water pollution: discharges from the sewage network via Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs); agricultural or other industrial activity; and surface run-off from roads and urban areas.
CSOs are now regularly used by water companies outside of the exceptional circumstances they were intended for. In 2024, water companies' CSOs spilled into English seas and rivers for a record 3.61 million hours — the equivalent of a CSO constantly discharging for more than 412 years.
Once you register your interest, we will keep you updated as our investigation develops. If the claims move forward, we will contact you with more information about the sign-up process.
Whether the genesis is the environment, human rights, or something similar, claims of this scale often become complex, hard-fought, High Court litigation. Large corporations instruct experienced and incredibly well-resourced firms to defend them. We are used to that environment.
Johnson Law Group is a well-established firm in the United States with more than 30 years’ experience representing individuals and communities against some of the world’s largest corporations. Over that time, we have recovered more than $2 billion for clients in settlements and awards. We focus on cases where people have been harmed by powerful organisations and where legal action can help drive meaningful change.
We opened our London and Manchester offices to bring this experience and expertise to the UK. Our team includes lawyers who have worked on some of the largest and most complex group litigations ever brought before the English courts.
Members of our team have substantial senior experience in white-collar and regulatory litigation, including acting for and against major corporations and financial institutions in high-stakes investigations and disputes. This experience provides valuable insight into how large organisations approach regulatory risk, internal investigations, and complex litigation - knowledge that strengthens our ability to hold them to account.
There is a growing global conversation about recognising natural ecosystems, including rivers, as having legal rights of their own. While English law does not currently allow rivers to bring claims themselves, there is a wider public interest discussion about how society protects natural environments. We welcome engagement from a range of groups on this subject.
If you are interested in learning more about the Rights of Nature movement, you can find more information here:
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