Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon has vowed to "clean up the water industry" by prosecuting those who allow sewage leaks, should Labour get into government.
Mr McMahon, who is the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Tuesday (September 27).
It comes after it was revealed that 2.6 months' worth of raw sewage was dumped into Chadderton, Royton and Oldham in 2021.
Speaking to delegates at the conference, Mr McMahon said: "A Labour government will end the scandal that sees us losing a quarter of all clean water in leaks that can be prevented whilst at the same time declaring water shortages.
"We will fix the leak by legislating to cut all of that in half by 2050 at the very latest. But we will also include a legally binding target that 90 per cent of all sewage discharges will end by 2030."
According to the Rivers Trust Interactive Map, raw sewage was discharged into Chadderton, Oldham and Royton’s natural environment for a total of 1,957 hours last year.
This means there was a flow of sewage taking place for 2.6 months of the year, according to analysis from the Labour Party.
Mr McMahon said should Labour get into government, water bosses would be held personally responsible and those who allow the most serious sewage leaks would face prison sentences.
He added there would be "no hiding problem", with Labour to demand "mandatory monitors on all sewage outlets" and to introduce automatic fines for each single sewage discharge.
He said: "Labour will finally hold water bosses personally accountable for their failures. A Labour government will strike off company directors who fail and yes, conference, we will introduce for the most serious offences, including deliberately misleading investigations, prison sentences for those offences."
According to the map from Rivers Trust, the sewage discharge in the borough which went on for the longest total time in 2021 was based near Delph.
The sewer, belonging to United Utilities, spilled 205 times for a total of 2,037 hours, discharging into the River Tame.
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