Passengers at Gatwick Airport experienced major disruption on Sunday after a water outage left both terminals without running water, forcing restaurants and bars to close and creating long queues for toilets.

The disruption began after a power failure at SES Water’s Bough Beech treatment works, which supplies the airport and surrounding areas.

The incident affected water services across parts of Kent, Surrey and south London, with some customers experiencing low water pressure or a temporary loss of supply.

SES Water later confirmed that power had been restored at the treatment plant but said the water still needed to be treated before supplies could return to normal.

“Our Bough Beech water treatment works are back up and running.

“We now need to treat the water before returning services to normal as quickly as we possibly can.”

Gatwick Airport apologised for the disruption and said staff were assisting passengers while bottled water was being distributed.

“There is currently no water supply in either terminal.

“Our staff are on hand to support passengers and provide assistance where needed, some restaurant partners have opened to provide additional seating.”

The airport added that it was working closely with SES Water to restore normal service as quickly as possible.

While some food outlets selling packaged meals remained open, many travellers struggled to find places to sit or access working toilets.

A passenger, identified as Paul Lee, said he had not heard any announcements about the disruption or seen bottled water being handed out.

“For people who need to go to the toilet, this isn’t good, and still no announcement or official information – and the water they mentioned isn’t being distributed.

“I’m taking off soon, so that’s fine, but for passengers in a few hours, this will be bad.”

He added that although shops remained open, restaurants and lounges had closed.

Former MP and former UK Music chief executive Michael Dugher also criticised the airport, urging it to allow passengers to use seating in closed restaurants.

“No water is one thing but depriving people of somewhere to sit is another… families are having to sit on the floor.”

The water disruption also affected some flights. BBC reporter Adam Dowling said his flight from Valencia to Gatwick was delayed, with passengers informed that landing slots had been adjusted “to reduce the number of flights” arriving at the airport.

Another passenger, Roger Wood, said he initially thought reports of the closures were a joke until he arrived at the airport.

“There was no water at all – no Nando’s, no Wetherspoon, all of those places were completely shut and stopping people coming in as there was no fresh water or ability to wash hands”.

“The only place you could buy something was places like Pret and Itsu where it was packaged food, or shops.

“There was a general grumpiness and the usual frustration at not being able to get a drink at a bar from people, but everybody seemed quite resigned.”

Wood also said toilets were open in some areas, but there was no running water to wash hands, and conditions deteriorated as the day went on.

Several toilets were closed, while others relied on emergency water supplies. Passengers reported long queues, with taps and flushing systems not working.

One traveller said there was “a very long queue to the ladies’ toilets and a short queue to the men’s, with no water to wash hands or flush the toilet”, while another said she was turned away from the facilities.

Passenger Sarah Houchin, whose flight to Lefkada in Greece was delayed by nearly two and a half hours, described the situation inside the terminals.

“The toilets are either closed or they send you to another toilet and it’s a really long queue, and the toilets are disgusting.”

“Very little information

“I think people are just fed up because they’ve got a long wait, but everyone understands there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Another traveller, Ian Bubb, criticised the airport’s response.

“Absolute disgrace at Gatwick – total lack of contingency planning for such an event.”

He said he had booked access to an airport lounge but was not allowed inside.

EasyJet advised passengers not to arrive at the airport earlier than necessary because bag drop desks were temporarily opening two hours before departure instead of the usual three.

“Due to a water supply issue affecting London Gatwick Airport, bag drop desks are temporarily opening two hours before departure instead of three hours.”

“Please do not arrive earlier, as you will not be able to drop off your bags or enter the departure lounge until bag drop opens.”

(BBC)