Gatwick Airport faced considerable disruption due to a burst water main in Shipley Bridge, Horley, which led to a severe reduction in water pressure across the airport and affected over 100 properties with no water and 1,200 with low pressure in the local area, including Crawley. This incident, occurring during a heatwave, resulted in the closure of toilet facilities at the airport.
SES Water, the supplier, apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed their teams were actively repairing the burst main, expecting services to return to normal soon. Gatwick Airport stated that bottled water was being provided to passengers and staff, along with other contingency measures to manage the situation and ensure passenger welfare.
The airport had already been grappling with other operational challenges, including staff shortages that led to flight cancellations in the summer. This water supply issue added to the airport's difficulties in maintaining normal operations, prompting apologies to passengers for the disruptions experienced.
