Gatwick Airport facing water outage after main burst
Image source, PA MediaGatwick Airport has been hit with a water outage after a burst main in Horley, SES Water says
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Published28 August 2026, 14:04 BST
Gatwick Airport passengers have been left without water after a main burst in a nearby field.
SES Water said it had located a burst main in a field in Horley, with parts of the airport left without water as a result.
A spokesperson for the airport confirmed the issue was "affecting water supply in both terminals and is under investigation by SES Water", but flights were not affected.
The issues come after a major supply outage in July saw passengers face long queues for toilets at the West Sussex airport, with restaurants and bars also closing.
'It's quite frustrating'
Natasha Nzekwe, who is due to fly to Amsterdam from the North Terminal, said: "It's quite frustrating, but everyone seems to be pretty fine.
"There's no water at all, you can't even wash your hands in the toilets.
"If I were on a long haul flight I think it would be worse, not being able to properly wash your hands is frustrating, and they haven't given us any information as to what is going on."
Naduni Abeywickrama, who was travelling from London to Aberdeen, added that the delay was "extremely frustrating".
Image source, Naduni AbeywickramaToilets in the North Terminal have been affected by the water outage
She added: "No one seems to be making a scene, but I feel frustrated because this is the second time this has happened."
Toilets in the airport's North Terminal are closed as a result of the supply issue, while the majority of toilets in the South Terminal are unaffected.
Food outlets in the North Terminal remain open, but for passenger seating only.
Anthony Rochester, head of networks at SES Water, said the burst main was "temporarily affecting supply including Gatwick Airport", and that teams were on site to repair the issue "as quickly and safely as possible".
"We are sorry for the disruption this is causing customers and will continue to provide updates," he added.
In July, both terminals at Gatwick lost running water for several hours after a power failure at a treatment works in the area.
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Published26 July

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