London, July 26 Brussels Morning Newspaper — London Gatwick disruption affected passengers travelling through Britain’s second-busiest airport after a water supply failure disrupted services across both terminals. The issue was linked to a power outage at SES Water’s Bough Beech Water Treatment Works, causing reduced water pressure and temporary supply interruptions. Although flights continued to operate, passengers faced closed toilets, limited food services and reduced access to drinking water while engineers worked to restore normal operations.
Main Development
Airport officials confirmed that both the North and South terminals experienced water supply problems during one of the busiest periods of the summer travel season. Bottled water was distributed to passengers while several restaurants and cafés either closed temporarily or operated with limited menus because of the lack of running water.
Gatwick Airport said teams were working closely with SES Water to minimise disruption and maintain essential passenger services until the supply returned.
Airport Operations Continue Despite Service Disruption
Despite the utility failure, aircraft departures and arrivals continued throughout the day. Airport management advised passengers to allow extra time inside the terminals and check for the latest travel information before arriving.
SES Water said engineers responded immediately after the power outage affected the treatment works, leading to lower water pressure in parts of Surrey, Kent and the Gatwick area.
Impact on Passengers and Travel
The disruption highlighted how essential infrastructure failures can quickly affect airport operations even when flights remain on schedule. Travellers experienced inconvenience due to unavailable toilets, reduced catering services and temporary restrictions on public facilities.
Industry experts say major airports rely heavily on resilient utility networks to maintain normal passenger services, particularly during peak holiday periods.
Recovery Efforts Underway
Airport authorities and SES Water continue working to restore full water supplies as quickly as possible. Gatwick has maintained contingency measures, including bottled water distribution and passenger assistance, while repairs continue.
Passengers are encouraged to monitor official airport updates before travelling until normal services are fully restored.
The London Gatwick disruption was caused by a water supply failure following a power outage at a nearby treatment works. Although flights continued operating, passengers experienced disruptions to toilets, restaurants and other essential terminal facilities. Airport officials and SES Water are working to restore normal operations, with contingency measures remaining in place until water supplies fully recover.
