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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Julia Kollewe and Graeme Wearden

Contingency plans being drawn up for Thames Water collapse

A Thames Water maintenance crew attend a burst water main in Earl’s Court, London. The leakage rate from the company’s pipes is at a five-year high.
A Thames Water maintenance crew attend a burst water main in west London. The leakage rate from the company’s pipes is at a five-year high. Photograph: Jansos/Alamy

Contingency plans for the collapse of Thames Water are being drawn up by the UK government and the industry watchdog amid fears that Britain’s biggest water company cannot survive because of its huge debt pile.

Ministers and the water regulator Ofwat are holding discussions about the possibility of placing Thames Water into a special administration regime (SAR) that would take the company into temporary public ownership.

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