British lender Barclays is selling Thames Water debt worth 236 million pounds ($319.9 million), Bloomberg News has reported, amid concerns the struggling water utility could be placed into special administration if it collapses.

The inflation-linked liabilities were put up in an auction, with bids due on August 14, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Thames Water declined to comment on the report, while Barclays did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Earlier this week, the UK government appointed FTI Consulting to provide advice on contingency plans for placing Thames Water into a special administration regime if the country’s largest water utility were to fail, a government source said.

Thames Water said it had drawn the remaining available amount of its first 1.5 billion-pound tranche of debt lifeline, ensuring liquidity until at least mid-December.