A major water outage struck Gatwick Airport in London on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The loss of mains water forced the closure of toilets and restaurants across the airport and disrupted several services. The outage was traced to a power failure at Bough Beech Water Treatment Works, which also affected water supply in surrounding areas near Gatwick.
Water Supply Restored and Services Resume
The water supply at Gatwick Airport was fully restored by Monday morning, July 27, 2026. Gatwick Airport confirmed that all toilet facilities and food and beverage outlets were open and operating normally. SES Water, the supplier of water to the airport, apologized for
the disruption and expressed gratitude for customers’ patience while the teams worked to safely restore the supply.
Passenger Impact and Service Suspensions
The water outage caused restaurant closures and suspension of food and beverage services during the disruption. Toilets were also unavailable for much of the airport. Although details on the number of missed or delayed flights were not specified, passenger comfort and airport operations were affected temporarily.
Consumer Rights for Affected Passengers
Vix Leyton, a consumer expert at thinkmoney, advised passengers impacted by the outage to keep receipts for any extra costs incurred and to document the disruption through photographs or screenshots. She recommended contacting the airport directly to
submit complaints and seek refunds for prepaid services that were not delivered during the outage, such as meals or lounge access.
According to Leyton, firms should refund payments for undelivered services. If companies refuse, passengers can request chargebacks from their banks. Some credit card purchases over £100 may also qualify for protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which makes vendors and credit card providers jointly liable for faulty goods or services.
Limits of Flight Compensation and Travel Insurance
Leyton highlighted that normal flight compensation regulations are unlikely to apply if a passenger missed a flight caused by the airport water outage, especially if
the flight departed on time. Compensation rules generally cover delays, cancellations, or overbooking directly attributable to airlines.
Passengers should review the terms of their travel insurance carefully, as common policies may not cover missed flights due to airport infrastructure failures like a water outage. To claim compensation, passengers must show the responsible party, prove the loss was foreseeable, and demonstrate that reasonable steps were taken to reach the flight.
Documenting Disruption is Crucial
Leyton emphasized the importance of creating a detailed paper trail during the disruption. She urged passengers to speak with airport staff, obtain names or reference numbers, and keep receipts to support
any compensation or refund claims. Because multiple organisations may be involved, establishing clear evidence is essential in resolving disputes over responsibility and losses.
By dawn on July 27, Gatwick Airport was fully operational with all facilities restored and water services normalized after the power failure at Bough Beech Water Treatment Works.
