London tap water best in country

Thames Water serves 13m customers across London and the Thames Valley

The quality of tap water in London is the best across England and Wales, an independent watchdog has found.

Almost 99% of tests on 168,000 samples taken from Thames Water customers' taps last year met national and European standards.

The tests carried out by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) covered safety, appearance and taste.

The DWI also found that Thames Water received the lowest rate of customer complaints about drinking quality.

David Owens, chief executive of Thames Water said: "Our drinking water is better than ever and we're rightly proud of it.

"Our water treatment works are among the best in the world and our team of technicians and scientists are working 24-hours a day to maintain the highest standards."

Earlier this year, the company launched the London On Tap campaign to restaurants, bars and hotels to serve tap water.

Thames Water is also currently investigating the possibility of installing water dispensers at London's mainline rail stations, to provide commuters with chilled tap water.