Wells and Mendip Hills MP Tessa Munt has called for major reform of the water industry after new analysis found sewage was spilled into local waterways for 11,704 hours last year. The Liberal Democrat MP said the spills took place across 1,081 separate occasions in Wells and Mendip Hills.

The figures have prompted Ms Munt to demand that new PM Andy Burnham makes an overhaul of the water industry one of his first acts in office. The Liberal Democrats are calling for the current privatised model to be replaced with a customer-owned mutual model.

Ms Munt said the figures showed the scale of damage caused to rivers and streams locally. She said residents were being asked to pay rising bills while water companies continued to report profits.

She said: "Disgracefully, for years, our local waterways have been pumped full of sewage, all while water bills rise, and water companies report profits.

"My colleagues and I are calling on our new Prime Minister to stand up for our communities, and hand our water infrastructure back to the people who actually use and rely on it."

The Liberal Democrats said the figures form part of wider concerns about environmental damage and financial mismanagement by water firms. The party says it wants water infrastructure moved back into public hands through a model owned by customers rather than shareholders.

Ms Munt said reform was needed to stop sewage spills and restore public confidence in the system. The party argues that local communities should have a stronger say over the infrastructure they depend on, including rivers, streams and other waterways affected by sewage discharges.

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