Gatwick water problems spread through both terminals at Gatwick Airport, where toilets were out of order and restaurants were closed. The airport said a problem in the Horley area was affecting supplies, while SES Water said it was working to restore normal service.
SES Water said some customers were experiencing low water pressure or a temporary loss of supply because of complications caused by a power outage at its Bough Beech Water Treatment Works. The company said it was working to overcome those complications and return the treatment works to supply as quickly as it could.
Gatwick Airport and Horley
Gatwick Airport said bottled water was being made available to passengers and staff, and that contingency measures had been put in place. The airport said the issue was under investigation, and SES Water said Gatwick Airport was affected.
Roger Wood arrived to meet friends ahead of his flight on Sunday and said he found no water at all in the south terminal. He said there was “no Nando's, no Wetherspoon, all of those places were completely shut” and that people were being stopped from coming in because there was no fresh water or ability to wash hands.
Paul Lee gave a different account of the response, saying he had not heard any announcements and had not seen bottled water being handed out. He said restaurants and lounges were shut but shops were open, and added: “For people who need to go to the toilet, this isn't good, and still no announcement or official information - and the water they mentioned isn't being distributed.”
Roger Wood and Paul Lee
Michael Dugher urged Gatwick Airport on social media to at least allow people to use the chairs in all the closed restaurants and bars. He said: “No water is one thing but depriving people of somewhere to sit is another... families are having to sit on the floor.”
The problem left travellers without basic facilities in both terminals while airport and water company crews worked to restore normal service. For passengers arriving for flights, the practical issue was immediate: closed toilets, closed dining areas and no clear timing for when full water service would return.
