Water Supply Disruption Hits London Gatwick Airport

Passengers travelling through London’s Gatwick Airport on Sunday faced major inconvenience after a water supply disruption affected both terminals, forcing the closure of toilets and some food outlets during the peak summer holiday season.

The airport, Britain’s second busiest and a major hub for budget airlines including EasyJet, said the issue did not affect flight operations but disrupted several passenger services.

In a statement posted on X, Gatwick Airport said the problem stemmed from a water supply issue in the nearby Horley area.

“A water issue in the Horley area is causing disruption at the airport this morning. The problem is affecting water supply in both terminals and is currently under investigation,” the airport said.

Travellers reported being unable to flush toilets, wash their hands, access hot drinks or refill water bottles, prompting airport authorities to introduce emergency measures.

Gatwick said bottled water was being distributed to passengers and staff while contingency plans were activated to minimise the impact of the disruption.

“Bottled water is being handed out to passengers and staff, and other contingency measures are being put in place to ensure the welfare of our passengers,” the airport added.

Regional supplier SES Water attributed the disruption to a power outage at a nearby water treatment facility, which affected water pressure and supply in parts of the area, including the airport.

The utility company said the outage had caused “a number of complications,” leaving some customers with low water pressure or a temporary loss of supply.

SES Water said it was working closely with Gatwick Airport to restore normal water service as quickly as possible.

Despite the disruption to passenger facilities, airport authorities confirmed that flight schedules remained unaffected.