Judge to rule on utility’s plea for £3bn debt lifeline as MPs and charities say emergency loan too costly for customers

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A group of MPs and charities will argue that Thames Water should be put into a government-handled administration at a court hearing to decide whether to approve £3bn in emergency funding.

A high court judge will hear from Britain’s biggest water supplier and groups of rival creditors on Monday before deciding whether to approve the rescue which would stave off a temporary nationalisation through a special administration. Without the debt lifeline, Thames Water has said it could run out of cash by March.