Gatwick Airport facing water outage after main burst
SES Water says it is working to repair a burst main which is affecting supply to the airport.
Gatwick Airport is currently experiencing a water outage due to a burst main in Horley, according to SES Water. This has left passengers at the airport without water.
SES Water confirmed they have located the burst main in a field in Horley, which has subsequently impacted parts of the airport's water supply. An airport spokesperson verified that the problem is "affecting water supply in both terminals and is under investigation by SES Water," though flights remain unaffected.
This incident follows a significant supply disruption in July, which led to extensive queues for restrooms at the West Sussex airport and the closure of various restaurants and bars.
Natasha Nzekwe, scheduled to fly to Amsterdam from the North Terminal, commented, "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, traveling from London to Aberdeen, described the delay as "extremely frustrating." She added, "No one seems to be making a scene, but I feel frustrated because this is the second time this has happened."
The water outage has led to the closure of toilets in the North Terminal, while most toilets in the South Terminal are still operational. Food establishments in the North Terminal are open, but only for seating.
Anthony Rochester, head of networks at SES Water, stated that the burst main is "temporarily affecting supply including Gatwick Airport," and that crews are on-site to rectify the issue "as quickly and safely as possible." He concluded, "We are sorry for the disruption this is causing customers and will continue to provide updates."
In July, both Gatwick terminals lost running water for several hours due to a power failure at a local treatment works.