Gatwick Airport has been forced to close toilets in its North Terminal after a burst water main in a nearby field left parts of the facility without running water. SES Water identified the burst main in Horley, with the disruption affecting water supply across both terminals, though flights continue to operate normally.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that the issue was
affecting water supply in both terminals and is under investigation by SES Water, but stressed that air operations remained unaffected. Toilets in the North Terminal have been taken out of service as a result, while the majority of facilities in the South Terminal continue to function. Food outlets in the North Terminal remain open but are restricted to passenger seating only.
This marks the second significant water supply disruption at the airport in recent months. In July 2026, both terminals lost running water for several hours following a power failure at Bough Beech Water Treatment Works, an incident that SES Water later described as a highly unusual and complex issue. During that earlier outage, the company made bottled water available to passengers and staff, and implemented other contingency measures across the airport. The July disruption also extended beyond the airport, affecting residential areas in Kent and Surrey including postcodes TN8, TN11, RH1, RH6 and RH10.
How are passengers responding?
Travellers at the airport have expressed frustration with the lack of basic facilities. Natasha Nzekwe, preparing to depart for Amsterdam from the North Terminal, described the situation as problematic.
It's quite frustrating, but everyone seems to be pretty fine, she said, adding that
there's no water at all, you can't even wash your hands in the toilets. She noted that the absence of hand-washing facilities was particularly concerning and expressed disappointment at the lack of communication from the airport.
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, she explained.
What is SES Water doing to resolve the issue?
Anthony Rochester, head of networks at SES Water, confirmed that repair teams had been deployed to the site and were working to address the problem. He stated that the burst main was
temporarily affecting supply including Gatwick Airport, and that crews were operating
as quickly and safely as possibleto complete repairs.
We are sorry for the disruption this is causing customers and will continue to provide updates, he added.
What happens next?
SES Water has committed to restoring water supply to the airport as soon as repair work is completed. The utility company has pledged to provide regular updates to affected customers as the situation develops.
Key Facts:
- A burst water main in Horley has left parts of Gatwick Airport without water supply
- Toilets in the North Terminal are closed; most South Terminal facilities remain operational
- Flights are continuing normally and are not affected by the water outage
- This is the second major water disruption at Gatwick in two months, following a July 2026 incident caused by a power failure at a treatment works
- SES Water repair teams are on site working to restore supply
