Water pressure 'beginning to return to normal' after major disruption at Gatwick Airport
The water pressure at Gatwick Airport has begun to ‘return to normal’ after the airport faced another water outage.
SES Water issued an alert for Horley on Friday (August 28), warning that it was aware of a loss of water supplies affecting the area. The company said some customers were experiencing low pressure, loss of supply or discoloured water, with inspectors being sent to restore supplies.
Posts on X (formerly Twitter) suggested that the disruption was also being felt at Gatwick Airport and Charlwood, following a main burst in a nearby field.
At 11.45am Gatwick Airport confirmed
Some toilets in the North Terminal were closed as a result of the supply issue, and the majority of toilets in the South Terminal were unaffected. Food and beverage outlets in the North Terminal were set to remain open for passenger seating only.
The airport issued an update, on social media, at 5.45pm.
This read: “Following a result of an @SESWater supply issue that impacted some areas of the North Terminal this afternoon, we are pleased to report that water pressure is beginning to return to normal. Toilets have remained available throughout, and food and beverage outlets are now reopening and serving hot food.
“Since becoming aware of the issue, we have been working closely with our airport partners to help minimise the impact and successfully ensure all of today's flights continue to depart as scheduled.
“We recognise the inconvenience caused by today’s water shortage and thank passengers for their patience and understanding. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”
The reports come just over a month after a much larger outage on July 26, when a failure at SES Water's Bough Beech Water Treatment Works disrupted supplies to both terminals.
That incident left passengers unable to flush toilets or wash their hands, while bars, cafes and restaurants were forced to close. Bottled water was provided as the airport put contingency measures in place. Flights continued to operate, but passengers reported long queues, confusion and a lack of basic facilities.
SES Water later confirmed that the July problem was linked to a power failure at Bough Beech, with the treatment works eventually brought back online before supplies gradually returned. The company said the network had been fully restored later that evening.
SES Water's alert advises customers affected by the incident that updates can be received by SMS or email. It also gives its 24-hour control-room number, 01737 772000, for out-of-hours emergencies.