Gatwick Airport, the UK’s second-busiest, is experiencing a severe water shortage that has disabled toilets and handwashing facilities across its North and South terminals. The disruption stems from a broader issue in the nearby Horley area, affecting thousands of travelers.
Cause and immediate impact on passengers
The outage originates at SES Water’s Bough Beech Water Treatment Works, where an unspecified problem has led to low pressure or complete loss of supply for some customers. At Gatwick, the issue has rendered toilets unflushable and water fountains inoperable, forcing staff to distribute bottled water to passengers and employees.
Julia Hartley-Brewer, a talk show presenter, reported on X that the airport had not made a public announcement about the disruption, describing conditions as “no running water across the entire airport.” Gatwick later acknowledged the problem in a social media post, confirming both terminals were affected and apologizing for the inconvenience.
Response from authorities and water provider
SES Water stated its teams were working to restore normal supply and had begun delivering bottled water to vulnerable customers on its Priority Services Register. The company did not specify a timeline for resolution but apologized to those impacted.
Gatwick, which served as Europe’s 10th-busiest airport by passenger traffic in 2024, has implemented contingency measures to maintain passenger welfare. No official estimate was provided for when full service would resume.
What travelers should expect next
Passengers are advised to monitor Gatwick’s social media channels for real-time updates. The airport has not indicated whether flight schedules will be affected, but delays or additional disruptions remain possible until water service is fully restored.
