Greenwich now has five new water fountains so residents can re-fill their own reusable bottles.

The new stainless steel fountains in Eltham High Street, General Gordon Square and outside Plumstead Station have been installed as part of a partnership between Thames Water and the Mayor of London to install 100 drinking water fountains across London in the biggest single-use plastic reduction initiative of any UK city.

Two more fountains are set to be installed in Greenwich at New Eltham Station and Charlton Station.

Each fountain has been topped with a distinctive blue water droplet so will be easy to spot for anyone wanting to fill up and has been designed to withstand the great British weather as well as be accessible to wheelchair users and easy to maintain.

Steve Spencer, chief operating officer at Thames Water said: “London’s tap water is world class and we’re celebrating this by building a network of water fountains so it’s even more accessible to people on the move.”

In an independent taste test carried out earlier this year, many consumers were unable to tell the difference between Thames Water’s tap water and bottled water, with the latter on average being 500 times more expensive.

Steve added: “Tap water is incredible value for money and just as good as bottled water but without the plastic packaging so we want people to enjoy it by using the fountains.

"Together we can all drive down plastic waste from single-use water bottles, helping to care for our rivers and oceans, now and for generations to come.”

Plastic bottles make up 10 per cent of all litter found in the River Thames and can take between 500 and 1,000 years to break down.

Each fountain will undergo regular safety and quality inspection by Thames Water engineers.

The company runs over half a million quality tests a year on its water to ensure it meets the highest drinking water standards.