On Sunday, 26 July 2026, London Gatwick Airport experienced a water outage that affected both terminals, disrupting passenger amenities and airport operations. The interruption was caused by a power failure at SES Water’s Bough Beech water treatment works, which also impacted water supplies in parts of Kent, Surrey, and south London. Although power was restored at the treatment plant, SES Water confirmed that water still required treatment before it could be safely supplied.
Facility Closures and Passenger Impact
The water outage forced the closure of multiple restaurants and bars within Gatwick’s terminals due to the absence of running water. Only outlets selling packaged meals, such
as Pret and Itsu, remained open alongside retail shops. Several toilets were closed or lacked running water for hand washing and flushing, leading to long queues and degraded hygiene conditions. Emergency water supplies were deployed at some facilities but were insufficient to meet demand.
Many lounges and dining areas shut their doors, reducing available seating and forcing some passengers, including families, to sit on the floor. Some restaurant partners opened additional seating areas despite closures in an attempt to provide respite for travelers. Passengers reported receiving minimal communication from airport authorities regarding the outage, and distribution of bottled water was
limited, with some travelers unaware it was available.
Flight operations were also affected. EasyJet shortened its bag drop desk opening times from the usual three hours before departure to two hours. Some flights faced delays; a reported example included a nearly two-and-a-half-hour delay on a flight from Gatwick to Lefkada, Greece. Air traffic controllers adjusted landing slot allocations to reduce the number of inbound flights to the airport on that day.
Official Statements and Passenger Accounts
SES Water confirmed the restoration of power at the Bough Beech treatment works and said, “We now need to treat the water before returning services to normal as quickly
as we possibly can.” Gatwick Airport apologized for the inconvenience and said, “There is currently no water supply in either terminal. Our staff are on hand to support passengers and provide assistance where needed, some restaurant partners have opened to provide additional seating.” The airport also stated it was working closely with SES Water to restore regular service.
Passengers gave varied accounts of the disruption. Paul Lee reported a lack of official announcements and limited bottled water distribution, stating, “For people who need to go to the toilet, this isn’t good, and still no announcement or official information – and
the water they mentioned isn’t being distributed.” Former MP and UK Music chief executive Michael Dugher criticized seating availability, saying, “No water is one thing but depriving people of somewhere to sit is another… families are having to sit on the floor.” Roger Wood described all restaurants with fresh water unavailable being closed, noting that “The only place you could buy something was places like Pret and Itsu where it was packaged food, or shops.” Sarah Houchin, on a delayed flight to Lefkada, said, “The toilets are either closed or they send you to another toilet and it’s a really
long queue, and the toilets are disgusting. Very little information.” Another traveler, Ian Bubb, labeled the event “an absolute disgrace at Gatwick – total lack of contingency planning for such an event.”
