London Gatwick Airport experienced a water supply failure on July 26, affecting both terminals. The outage was caused by a power failure at a water treatment facility operated by SES Water, which also impacted parts of Sussex and Kent with low water pressure or temporary loss of supply [1, 2, 3, 4].
The water outage led to toilets being out of service, closure of restaurants and bars, and passengers being unable to get hot drinks, wash their hands, or fill water bottles [1, 2, 3, 4]. Broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer warned, "If you’re on your way to Gatwick airport, it might be helpful to know that there is no running water across the entire airport. That means no coffees, no water fountains, no flushing toilets and no hand washing" [2].
Passengers expressed frustration on social media about the lack of prior communication and the impact on their comfort. Michael Dugher criticized the airport for closing seating areas, saying, "At least allow people to use the chairs in all the closed restaurants and bars. No water is one thing, but depriving people of somewhere to sit is another … Families are having to sit on the floor" [2]. Another traveler, Paul Lee, shared concerns for those with delayed flights, noting the lack of toilet access was troubling for passengers waiting hours to board [4].
Despite the disruptions to passenger facilities, flights were reportedly unaffected by the water supply failure [1, 3, 4]. SES Water and Gatwick Airport collaborated to restore water service. They distributed bottled water to passengers and staff and implemented contingency measures to support passenger welfare [1, 2, 3, 4].
The water pressure began to return to normal by the evening of July 26, restoring services at Gatwick and surrounding areas [4]. Similar water supply issues had occurred previously at Gatwick in July 2022 due to a burst main pipe, also affecting airport facilities and nearby homes [3].
