Gatwick Airport experienced a major water outage on Sunday, July 26, 2026, caused by a power failure at Bough Beech Water Treatment Works. This power failure stopped the mains water supply for much of Gatwick Airport and nearby regions, leading to the closure of toilet facilities and airport restaurants.
The water supply was fully restored by Monday morning, July 27, allowing all services at Gatwick Airport, including toilets and food and beverage outlets, to resume normal operations. SES Water, the company supplying water, apologized for the disruption and thanked customers and partners for their patience during the incident.
Passengers affected
are advised to keep receipts for any reasonable extra costs and document the disruption fully. Vix Leyton, consumer expert at thinkmoney, said passengers should complain directly to the airport and ask for refunds for services paid but not delivered, such as prepaid meals or lounge access.
If companies refuse refunds, passengers using credit or debit cards may ask their banks for chargeback assistance. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 covers credit card purchases over £100, providing protection up to £30,000, though many airport purchases fall below this threshold.
Ms Leyton noted compensation for the wider inconvenience is less
likely than refunds for missed services. Normal flight compensation rules mainly cover airline delays, cancellations, or overbooking and are unlikely to apply if passengers miss flights due to this airport infrastructure failure.
Passengers who missed flights due to the outage must show fault, foreseeability of loss, and reasonable efforts to reach flights to claim compensation. Rights to food, accommodation, rerouting, or refunds depend on whether the disruption was within the airline’s control.
Travel insurance coverage for losses caused by the outage depends on individual policy terms. Ms Leyton stressed the importance of creating a paper trail: speaking to staff, getting
names or reference numbers, keeping receipts, and documenting the disruption while it happens to support claims.
