London Gatwick Airport experienced a water supply disruption affecting both terminals on the morning of 26 July 2026. While flight operations continued as scheduled, passenger services such as toilets, hand washing, access to hot drinks, and water bottle refill points were unavailable across the airport.
SES Water, the regional water supplier serving the Horley area near Gatwick, attributed the disruption to a power outage at a nearby water treatment facility. This incident caused reduced water pressure and interruptions to supply impacting the airport and surrounding locations.
The disruption forced the closure of several Gatwick Airport restaurants due to the lack
of water. Passengers and staff were unable to flush toilets or use normal hand washing facilities. In response, the airport distributed bottled water to passengers and personnel and implemented contingency plans for passenger welfare.
Gatwick Airport posted on its official X account: “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 added: “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.”
SES Water acknowledged the outage caused “a number of complications,” including low water pressure or temporary loss of supply for some customers, and said it was working closely with Gatwick to restore normal water service.
As Britain’s second busiest airport and a key base for budget airlines such as EasyJet, Gatwick serves substantial passenger volumes daily. Disruptions to basic facilities, such as water supply, significantly impact the passenger experience even when flight schedules remain unaffected.
