A power outage at a water treatment plant in southeast England disrupted operations at Gatwick Airport on Sunday, leaving toilets unusable and forcing restaurant closures at both terminals.
SES Water attributed the disruption to a power failure at Bough Beech Water Treatment Works, which caused a pressure drop and temporary water loss affecting customers in Kent and Sussex counties. The airport said it had no water supply in either terminal.
Gatwick Airport apologized for the inconvenience on social media, stating that staff were on hand to support passengers and that some restaurant partners had opened to provide additional seating. The airport said it was providing bottled water.
However, passenger Paul Lee told the BBC he had not heard about the water shut-off or seen water bottles being distributed. "For people who need to go to the toilet, this isn't good," He said, adding that while his imminent departure meant the situation would not affect him, passengers with longer waits would face difficulties.
Former Member of Parliament Michael Dugher said on social media that with bars and restaurants closed, passengers were sitting on the floor due to insufficient seating, and called on the airport to reopen those spaces.
SES Water said it was working to restore service to affected areas.