Gatwick Airport Restores Water Supply Following Major Burst Main in Horley

Update: 31 August 2026, 4:49:00 AM

Gatwick Airport experienced a significant water outage after a main burst in a field near Horley. SES Water confirmed they located the fault and successfully restored supplies to the airport and surrounding areas by re-routing their network.

While the water company noted that pressure is returning to normal, they are maintaining close contact with airport officials as water continues to flow back into the facility’s internal systems. Despite the disruption, airport management confirmed that all scheduled flights continued to depart as planned.

Operational Impact and Facility Status

North Terminal Toilets: Currently closed due to the supply issue.
South Terminal Toilets: Majority remain unaffected and operational.
North Terminal Food Outlets: Remained open for passenger seating, with hot food service now resuming.
Infrastructure Support: Portable toilets were delivered to the site to assist passengers.

A spokesperson for the airport stated that they have been working with partners to minimize the impact on travelers. They thanked passengers for their patience while acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the shortage. This incident follows a similar outage in July, when a power failure at a local treatment works left both terminals without running water for several hours, resulting in long queues and the closure of various bars and restaurants.

Travelers expressed frustration regarding the lack of information and the recurring nature of the problem. Natasha Nzekwe, who was traveling to Amsterdam from the North Terminal, remarked that while passengers remained calm, the inability to use basic facilities like handwashing stations was difficult. She noted that this was the second time she had encountered such an issue at the airport.

Naduni Abeywickrama, who was traveling to Aberdeen, echoed these sentiments, describing the situation as extremely frustrating. Anthony Rochester, head of networks at SES Water, apologized for the disruption and confirmed that teams are working to ensure full service is restored throughout all airport buildings. The report also notes that you can’t even wash your hands in the toilets, there’s no water at all. The report also notes that not being able to properly wash your hands is frustrating, and they haven’t given us any information as to what is going on, if I were on a long haul flight I think it would be worse. The report also notes that he added, we’re continuing to work closely with the airport as we understand water isn’t yet flowing throughout their buildings”. The report also notes that we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.