23-05-2025
Moody's withdraws key Thames Water rating over lack of information
LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Moody's has withdrawn the credit rating of the financing arm of Thames Water's parent company, citing a lack of information on the embattled unit.
"We have decided to withdraw the rating (of Thames Water Kemble) Finance PLC) because we believe we have insufficient or otherwise inadequate information to support the maintenance of the rating," Moody's said in a statement.
Thames Water, which serves 16 million customers in and around London, is at the centre of a public backlash over the amount of sewage it has been pumping into Britain's rivers and its huge debt that has raised the prospect of re-nationalisation.
It is the primary operating subsidiary of Thames Water Limited, which is in turn owned by Kemble Water Finance Limited, the financing subsidiary of which is Thames Water (Kemble) Finance PLC.
Despite the withdrawal, Moody's said it was maintaining ratings on the two other parts of the complex Thames Water structure, Thames Water Utilities Ltd and Thames Water Utilities Finance Plc.
It did not provide any further details on what information was lacking with regards to the Kemble financing unit. Prior to the withdrawal, the rating had been a default-territory 'C' grade.
