On Sunday, July 26, 2026, London Gatwick Airport experienced a major water supply outage caused by a power failure at Bough Beech Water Treatment Works. This incident resulted in the temporary closure of toilets and restaurants and the suspension of airport services, affecting Gatwick and nearby regions.
Water Restoration and Official Statements
The water supply at Gatwick Airport was fully restored by Monday morning, July 27, 2026, allowing all toilet facilities and food and beverage outlets to reopen. Gatwick Airport confirmed normal operations had resumed. SES Water, the supplier to Gatwick, apologized for the disruption and expressed gratitude for customers’ patience during the restoration efforts.
Impact on Passengers and Refund Advice
Passengers faced closures of key amenities, causing delays and inconvenience. Vix Leyton, consumer expert at thinkmoney, advised affected travelers to retain receipts for extra costs, document the disruption, and submit complaints directly to the airport. She emphasized that passengers who prepaid for services—such as meals, lounge access, showers, or treatments—should request refunds when those services were not provided due to the outage.
“Anyone affected should keep receipts for reasonable extra costs, take screenshots or photographs of the disruption and complain directly to the airport,” Leyton said.
Refund Procedures and Compensation Limitations
Leyton explained that if a company refuses to issue a refund, passengers can pursue
chargeback through their banks. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act applies to credit card purchases over £100 and may provide additional protection, though many airport-related bookings fall below this limit. She noted that compensation for general inconvenience caused by the outage is unlikely, and flight delay or cancellation compensation is generally not applicable if the flight departed on time despite missed boarding.
“If you paid for a service and the company did not deliver, the first step is simply to ask for a refund,” said Leyton. “The business should not be able to keep the full payment for something
it simply did not provide.” She added, “If the plane left on time but you did not get to the gate, the normal flight compensation rules are unlikely to help.”
Documentation Recommendations for Affected Travelers
Leyton urged passengers to maintain a detailed record of the disruption. This includes speaking to airport staff, collecting names or reference numbers, and saving receipts. She highlighted the challenges travelers might face when claiming reimbursements due to multiple parties being involved in airport operations.
“The frustrating reality is that you can be caught in a major airport failure, miss your flight and still find that every company involved points at
somebody else,” Leyton said. “That is why passengers should create a paper trail immediately: speak to staff, get names or reference numbers, keep receipts and document the disruption while it is happening.”
