An Anglian Water official told a council committee that an on-site plant is "being scoped out" for Universal's 2031 park. Universal's own planning papers say Bedford's sewage works can't currently handle the site's flows.
Universal's first European theme park may come with its own sewage plant.
Grant Tuffs, Anglian Water's senior policy and public affairs lead, told Central Bedfordshire Council's sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee that "an on-site wastewater treatment plant is being scoped out, separate from our network." The Local Democracy Reporting Service story ran Friday, Nov. 6, in Bedford Today and the Bedford Independent.
Bedford Today's headline says the park "will have" its own plant. Tuffs' words were less final: it's being scoped out, and talks are still going.
He said Anglian is working with Universal and its utility partner, ESP Utilities Group, "on developing a sustainable solution for that site." His bottom line for locals: "We're not putting current customers at risk here."
Here's a look at Universal's plans for the U.K. resort:
Why does Universal's U.K. park need its own wastewater plant?
Because the local system is already stretched. Universal's environmental statement, dated June 2025 and filed with its planning application, says Anglian advised that its Bedford Water Recycling Centre "does not currently have capacity" to treat flows from the site.
Anglian still has to accept the resort's household-style sewage, meaning toilets and kitchens. But it doesn't supply water for business uses like irrigation or park "process water," the filing says.
Universal's plan on paper: catch rainwater in old flooded clay pits left over from the former Kempston Hardwick Brickworks, treat it at an on-site Water Processing and Collection Plant, and pipe it through a separate non-drinking network to the park. Wastewater from that treatment could go into Anglian's sewers, if Anglian agrees.
Is Bedfordshire short on water?
Yes, and it's getting tighter. The filing cites Anglian's baseline forecast, before its planned fixes, which shows the local supply zone in a dry-year deficit of 11.8 million liters a day in 2025, growing to 77.7 million by 2050.
In a companion story, Bedford Today reported Anglian's demand hit a record 1.6 billion liters, about 423 million gallons, in one day in June.
Local group CPRE Bedfordshire said in January it was "seriously concerned" about water and sewage for the park. It cited the Environment Agency's "severe water stress" rating for the area.
Who is building Universal's water system?
In February, Universal named ESP as its utilities partner and hired Veolia to design and build an on-site facility that reuses and recycles water, BlogMickey reported. Universal said that would cut both on-site water use and the sewage sent into the local system.
Gidon Freeman, Universal Destinations & Experiences' vice president of external affairs, said the company would be "ensuring the resort can be built and operated sustainably."
So the water recycling part was already public. What's new is Anglian saying a separate on-site wastewater plant is on the table.
When does Universal United Kingdom open?
In 2031. Universal broke ground June 3, 2026, and announced the name Universal United Kingdom Resort the same day, WDWNT reported. We covered the first 23 contractors Universal hired on Sept. 16.
Where: Kempston Hardwick, just south of Bedford. WDWNT put it about 45 minutes outside London.
Size: about 476 acres, according to the trade magazine Building.
Crowds: built for 8.5 million visitors a year, with up to 55,000 on peak days in its opening year, WDWNT reported.
Cost: more than 5 billion pounds, almost $7 billion, from Comcast NBCUniversal, plus 1.3 billion pounds in government money for local infrastructure, WDWNT reported.
Work is already changing the neighborhood. Universal's project site lists a 24-hour closure of Manor Road through Nov. 27 for site stabilization and enabling works.
Five years to go. Plenty of time to sort out the plumbing.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Bedford Today (Nov. 6, 2026), the tip, the "will have" headline and the Anglian Water demand record
Bedford Independent (Nov. 6, 2026), Grant Tuffs' comments to the Central Bedfordshire scrutiny committee (Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Universal Destinations & Experiences (June 2025), the environmental statement's water resources chapter on GOV.UK: Bedford WRC capacity, clay pits and the on-site water plant
BlogMickey (Feb. 25, 2026), the ESP and Veolia appointments and Gidon Freeman's quote
CPRE Bedfordshire (Jan. 13, 2026), local water and sewage concerns
WDW News Today (June 3, 2026), the resort name, opening year, location, visitor capacity and investment
Building (2026), the 476-acre site
Universal UK Project (Nov. 6, 2026), the Manor Road closure
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