Thurston County Public Works is proposing an adjustment to the water and sewer General Facility Charges (GFCs) for 2025. GFCs are fees charged for new development that connects to the water and sewer system. These changes will not impact existing water and sewer connections or customer accounts.

A GFC is a one-time charge to connect to the water and/or sewer system. This fee is designed to recover an equitable share of the existing facilities and the cost of future capacity-related capital improvements. The GFC is similar to impact fees charged by other county divisions, effectively acting as a "buy-in" charge, and should not be confused with installation or connection fees.

Thurston County consolidated its utility service areas into one water utility and one sewer utility at the start of 2024. However, the county still charges different GFCs for the Grand Mound and Boston Harbor service areas. In 2023, the county contracted with FCS Group to perform a study on the water and sewer GFCs, which recommended adjustments to properly fund utility improvements and proposed a consolidated GFC model.

Thurston County Public Works is proposing the new GFCs be implemented in 2025. 

Water GFC:

• 2025 (Proposed)
  • Consolidated: $6,858/ERU
• 2024 (Current)
  • Grand Mound Service Area: $3,285
  • Boston Harbor Service Area: $17,767

Sewer GFC:

• 2025 (Proposed)
  • Consolidated: $12,632
• 2024 (Current)
  • Grand Mound Service Area: $4,287
  • Boston Harbor Service Area: $16,681

GFC Calculation Methodology:

The methodology for calculating a GFC is based on three factors:

1. Investment in assets that currently provide service to customers
2. Planned improvement projects that the utility intends to undertake
3. Capacity of the water and sewer systems measured in Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs)