JFK T5 Water Main Break Left Pax No Toilets, Limited Food and Drink

The Port Authority says a water main break at JFK Terminal 5 did not disrupt any flights, but passengers report that they were told to wait until boarding to use the restroom and to purchase bottled water rather than drinking tap water or fountain drinks. Meanwhile, restaurants and cafes were unable to prepare food.

It could have been worse. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reports that flight operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) were not affected by an early morning water main break near Terminal 5. Passengers say, however, that hours after water service was restored to the facility, air travelers were told not to use restrooms and to drink only bottled water for several hours on Thursday. Flyers at T5 report being made to wait until boarding to use the toilet.

“Every bathroom is closed in this building with thousands of people who just got off a plane,” one JetBlue passenger told New York NBC affiliate WNBC shortly before noon. “No restaurants are serving anything fresh.”

The Port Authority first reported the water main rupture in a Twitter post at 6:09 am. According to officials, the break was repaired within hours, but water pressure issues were not resolved until late morning. All told, passengers at the busy terminal were left without water, toilets or coffee for about two hours.

Fortunately, the water main break which flooded a large area of airport property, did not hamper access to the terminal. NBC News 4 broadcast helicopter footage showing a “big brown mess outside the terminal” for much of the morning. According to the station, “water and dirt appeared to be pooled on a passage behind the building.”

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