What is a CFCC?
The Capital Facility Connection Charge (CFCC) is a charge per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) that reimburses the County for building the infrastructure necessary to provide water and sewer capacity. An EDU is a unit of measure (typically 250 gallons of water per day) for determining water and sewer usage.
Why does the County charge a CFCC?
The CFCC reimburses the County for building or expanding utility infrastructure to provide public water and sewer services to its customers. System expansions are funded solely through CFCCs. It is Anne Arundel County's philosophy that current users do not absorb the financial burden of system expansions. This allows the County to keep the user rates low by only charging existing users for the operation and rehabilitation of existing system capacity.
Who pays for CFCCs?
Any parcels connecting to County water and/or sewer services must pay CFCCs based on the number of estimated EDUs. CFCCs may be charged to property owners or developers of:
- New development
- Redevelopment
- Change in use of an existing development
- Tenant fit outs if the use is higher than previous tenant (intensification)
- Conversion from well/septic to public system
When are CFCCs due?
CFCCs are assessed as part of the Development Review process for new development, as part of the building permit process for tenant fit outs, and as part of the connection permit when property owners convert from well or septic or establish new utility services. The CFCC must be paid before these permits are issued. The EDU worksheet, used to calculate the number of EDUs, may be reviewed during the initial application of the sketch plan or preliminary plan or during review of the final plan or site development plan. Regardless of when EDUs are calculated, the cost of CFCCs should be considered at the onset of a development project.
How much do CFCCs cost?
Please refer to the Utility & Impact Fees.
What if the property is already connected?
Proposals for redevelopment, change in use of an existing development, or tenant fit outs may receive credit for EDUs if the site is already connected to County utilities. The Department of Public Works (DPW) will review the parcel to determine any previous CFCC payment or credits based on the information available. The type of information used to determine credits is listed below in order of preference:
- The number of EDUs previously purchased; if this information is not available, then
- Peaked average daily flow of existing development’s actual consumption; if not available, then
- A calculation of the EDUs that would be required for the existing development if it were developed at the time of the current proposal.
The EDUs purchased through CFCCs are assigned to the parcel/property for which they're allocated, and not to individual tenants or units within the property. It is recommended that tenants consult with the property owner when additional EDUs are required.
How are EDUs determined?
EDU calculations are based on peaked usage of facilities so that the County can provide reliable services to all customers. "Peaked average daily usage" is the average amount of water used each day by a property owner during the highest billing cycle, multiplied by the peaking factor (typically 1.4 and based on pressure zone).
The DPW estimates EDUs based on the information available. The type of information used to estimate EDUs is listed below in order of preference:
- Flow factors based upon design guidelines and published on the county’s website with the EDU worksheet; if not available, then
- Historical consumption data, based on at least one (1) year's worth of readings may be used; if not available, then
- Average usage peaked for a similar facility as approved by DPW. This category may be suitable for entering into a monitoring agreement with the County to corroborate actual usage.
Want to get an idea of how many EDUs your project will generate?
If there are established flow factors for your project, you may use the EDU Worksheet.
This EDU Worksheet can give you an estimate of what your proposed project will require in terms of water and/or sewer capacity. It can be used as an estimate for informational purposes and we recommend calculating these estimates early in your project development. Once your project is well defined and the designs are close to being finalized, this EDU Worksheet requires County review and approval prior to official determination of allocated capacity. Please note that the EDU Worksheet does not account for existing capacity that is already allocated to the parcel. You can contact the DPW Utility Finance Division for information on an existing capacity of a parcel.
Have questions or want more information?
Please contact the DPW Utility Finance Division at (410) 222-7517 or at utility-allocations@aacounty.org for questions about allocations or EDUs. Property owners can also contact DPW Utility Finance Division for information on EDU allotments to their property.