A water supply outage at London’s Gatwick Airport on the morning of July 26, 2026 disrupted water services in both terminals, affecting passenger facilities including toilets, handwashing stations, and access to hot drinks.
The outage resulted from a power failure at a nearby SES Water treatment plant in the Horley area, which reduced water pressure and interrupted supply to the airport and surrounding locations.
Gatwick Airport implemented contingency measures by distributing bottled water to passengers and staff to mitigate the impact of the outage. The airport activated additional protocols aimed at passenger welfare during the incident.
Travellers were unable to
flush toilets or refill water bottles, and airport restaurants closed due to lack of running water, limiting food and beverage options throughout the affected terminals.
According to Gatwick Airport authorities, “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 also confirmed, “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 described the outage as causing “a number of complications,”
including low water pressure and temporary supply loss.
Despite the passenger service disruptions, Gatwick Airport confirmed that flight schedules and operations continued without interruption. As Britain’s second busiest airport and a major base for budget airlines like EasyJet, Gatwick maintains its key transport role even amid such facility challenges.
