NEW HOURS: Prince William County Landfill & Compost Facility are now open on Sundays 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Thursdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m., all other days 7 a.m.–4 p.m. HHW/Electronics Recycling program at the Landfill is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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NEW HOURS: Prince William County Landfill & Compost Facility are now open on Sundays 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Thursdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m., all other days 7 a.m.–4 p.m. HHW/Electronics Recycling program at the Landfill is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.New Hours In Effect!
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Annual Solid Waste Fee and Frequently Asked Questions
Solid Waste fees fund landfill operations, trash disposal, composting, recycling operations, other disposal programs, and services, as well as future landfill cell construction. According to a thorough financial analysis, conducted in 2022, by an outside consultant that specializes in solid waste management financing, without an increase in revenue the Solid Waste Fund was projected to be in deficit in 2025 and depleted in 2026. With small fee increases and sound management, it is anticipated that the County Landfill will serve Prince William County's solid waste disposal needs until approximately 2060.
Annual Solid Waste Fee
The original Solid Waste Management Fee of $70 per single family home was approved by the Board of County Supervisors on Sept. 1, 1998, and implemented on Jan. 1, 1999. The fee was established to fund trash disposal, composting, and recycling operations, as well as repay the debt incurred to purchase land to expand the landfill. It is assessed on all properties based on residential dwelling type or business type and structure size.
On April 25, 2023, the Board of County Supervisors voted to increase the Solid Waste Management Fee for the first time since the fee's inception in January 1999. The new Solid Waste Fee is $75 per single family home and began July 1, 2023.
The annual Solid Waste Fee appears as a separate line item on the real estate property tax bill. The fee is based on dwelling type and is divided in half between the July and December tax bills.
Example: Single-Family Home property owners will see a charge of $37.50 on the July bill and $37.50 on the December real estate tax bill.
Annual Solid Waste Fee - Residential Property
Fee Class Fee Per Unit Single-Family Home/SFE $75 Town Home $67.50 Mobile Home $60 Condominium/Apartment $50.19 Annual Solid Waste Fee - Business and Non-Residential Property
Businesses and non-profit organizations, including schools and churches, are assessed based on waste generation amounts per year or an estimate using business type and square footage to determine the Single Family Equivalent (SFE), waste generation rate, which is multiplied by the Single-Family fee.
Example: SFE is calculated as 1.3. The waste generation rate of 1.3 x $75=$97.50 Annual Solid Waste Fee. The property owner will see $48.75 on the July real estate tax bill and $48.75 on the December bill.
Landfill Tipping Fee
A tipping fee for commercial waste haulers disposing of residential and commercial trash was also established on April 25, 2023. Tipping fees are common throughout the country. Beginning January 1, 2024, commercial haulers will be charged a $40/ton tipping fee for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal at the landfill. Commercial haulers must have an account set up with county. However, permitted haulers will not be charged a tipping fee for yard waste at the Prince William Compost facility (aka Balls Ford Road Compost Facility). The county will not charge a tipping fee to Prince William County residents who use the county’s solid waste facilities to dispose of personal household trash, recycling and/or yard waste.
This $40 per ton tipping fee will increase the expenses of all collection companies that operate in Prince William County, and it may result in a price increase for customers. Prince William County does not have the authority to regulate the price trash and recycling collection companies charge their customers.
Tipping Fee
Residential and Commercial Trash Fee/ton Commercial Haulers $40 Residents $0 Prince William County residents may dispose of personal household trash, recycling, and yard waste for free. No tipping fee will be charged.
Other Disposal Fees at Solid Waste Facilities
There has been no change in the fees that customers are charged for tires, construction debris, bulky waste and junk removal, soil, manure, pallets, etc. Charges for refuse from the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and residential users from these cities and the towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket, and Quantico also remain unchanged. These fees can be found at Rules and Regulations and A to Z Disposal Guide.
Fee Questions
Check out the FAQ section below.
- Additional questions on the tipping fee or the annual Solid Waste Management Fee - Email: [email protected]
- Questions on Solid Waste Division facility locations, hours, programs, and services - Visit: www.pwcva.gov/trashandrecycling
FAQ
Expand all- Why is my Solid Waste Management Fee different this year?
The annual Solid Waste Fee increased to $75 from $70 for a single-family home in July 2023. This fee is paid in two installments, $37.50 in July and $37.50 in December with the real estate taxes. See the Annual Solid Waste Fee tab for other residential dwelling fee changes.
- When did the annual Solid Waste fee increase?
The annual Solid Waste Fee increase approved by the Board of County Supervisors in April 2023, began with the July 2023 real estate tax bill. Property owners are charged half of the fee amount in July and the other half on the December real estate tax bill.
- When is the annual Solid Waste Fee paid/how am I billed?
The Solid Waste Fee appears as a separate line item on the real estate property tax bill. The fee is divided in half between the July and the December tax bills, or it is paid via mortgage escrow.
- How is the fee revenue used?
Fees fund landfill operations, trash disposal, composting, and recycling operations, as well as future landfill cell construction. Without an increase in revenue, the Solid Waste Fund was projected to be in deficit in 2025 and depleted in 2026. This deficit would negatively impact the County's ability to landfill residential and commercial trash and manage recycling and yard waste.
- What programs and services are provided by the fee I pay?
The solid waste fees fund numerous programs and services available to residents:
- Convenience Centers at the Landfill and the Compost facility
- Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Recycling Program
- Recycling trailers throughout the County
- Glass recycling trailers
- Paper Shred events
- Community Outreach Programs
Additionally, the fees fund landfill operations, trash disposal, composting, recycling operations, and future landfill cell construction.
- I am a resident of Prince William County, can I still bring my trash to the landfill without charge?
Prince William County residents can bring their household trash, recycling, and yard waste to the landfill or compost facility without paying a disposal fee. There is a disposal fee for materials such as tires, manure, pallets, and other items that require special handling.
Prince William County residents may also use the landfill Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Program without charge, but a ticket from traffic control is required.
Use the A to Z Disposal Guide for disposal fees and preparation of materials that require special handling.
- How was the amount for the annual fee and the new tipping fee determined?
Public Works Solutions (PWS), a consultant with experience in performing financial analysis of solid waste programs, was tasked at the end of 2021 with:
- Preparing a fiscal impact analysis based on current and projected operational and capital expenditures
- Developing revenue recommendations to ensure Fund viability.
Consultant findings
- Evaluation indicated maintaining the existing $70 SFE would generate significant deficits by 2025 and fully deplete the fund balance in 2026.
- Fund balance and revenue stream is insufficient to construct future Phase III and Phase IV landfill cells and needed infrastructure.
- Increase in fee revenue is needed no later than FY2024 to maintain fund balances.
Resulting Actions
The former annual Solid Waste Fee of $70 is equivalent to more than $125 in 2023. This would be a substantial increase in the fee. To fund the solid waste operation and programs and future cell construction for trash disposal a hybrid fee system was developed. This hybrid system includes a small increase in the annual Solid Waste fee and the addition of a traditional commercial tipping fee based on tonnage.
Tipping fees are commonplace in the waste industry. The average tipping fee in the U.S. is about $54, which is low compared to the Northern Virginia area where tipping fees mostly range from $62 to $70 per ton.
- If I don't generate a lot of trash/small number in my household do I still have to pay the annual Solid Waste Fee?
For residential properties, the annual Solid Waste Management Fee is based on the type of residential dwelling. It is not calculated on number of members in a household, or the amount of trash, recycling and yard waste that is generated at the property.
- Can anyone appeal the annual Solid Waste Fee?
Non-residential property owners can request an adjustment be made to future billings. A business or non-profit organization can supply annual waste generation amounts for review and possible adjustment to the fee. For more details on the fee adjustment process, please review the Prince William County Code Sec.22-188.
For Solid Waste fee adjustment questions, call (703) 792-4670 (TTY:711). For other Tax Assessment related questions, call (703) 792-6710 (TTY:711).
- How much was the original annual Solid Waste Management Fee?
The original Solid Waste Fee was $70 annually for a single-family home. This fee was established by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in September 1998 and implemented on January 1, 1999. This fee had not changed since its inception. In 2023 dollars, the $70 equivalent is more than $125. In April 2023, the fee was raised to $75 annually for a single-family home.
The Solid Waste Fee appears as a separate line item on the real estate property tax bill. The fee is divided in half between the July and the December tax bills, or it is paid via mortgage escrow.
Annual Residential Fees January 1999- December 2022
Fee Class Original Fee Per Unit Single-Family Home $70 Town Home $63 Mobile Home $56 Condominium/Apartment $47 The $70 fee is equivalent to more than $125 in 2023.
- What are the new fees and when do they begin?
Solid Waste Fee
The annual Solid Waste Fee is $75 for a single-family home (less for other dwellings), but it is not new. This fee was instituted in January 1999 and remained unchanged until 2023. The original fee of $70 for a single-family home is the equivalent of more than $125 today.
Businesses and non-residential properties pay the Solid Waste Fee based on actual waste generation, or an estimate calculated using the business type and size of the structure to determine a Single Family Equivalent (SFE) rate that is multiplied by the $75 Single Family Home fee.
The Solid Waste Fee is on the property owner's real estate tax bill, half in July and half in December.
Tipping/Disposal Fee
The tipping fee begins in January 2024. The tipping fee is $40/ton for municipal solid waste (MSW)/ trash brought to the landfill for disposal by commercial haulers/trash collection companies Haulers that use the Fairfax County Covanta waste-to-energy facility to dispose of waste generated in Prince William County will also be charged the tipping fee.
Residents are not charged a tipping fee and may bring their trash, recycling, and yard waste to the landfill or compost facility at no charge.
There may be fees for certain other items, however, these charges are not new.
- What is a tipping/disposal fee?
Tipping fees are common across the country. The average tipping fee in the U.S. is about $54, however, it ranges from $62 to $70 in the Northern Virginia region.
Beginning, in January 2024, a tipping fee of $40/ton will be charged for residential and commercial trash disposed of by commercial waste haulers at the Prince William County Landfill and at the Fairfax County waste-to-energy facility for disposal of municipal solid waste/trash generated in Prince William County.
Residents are not charged a tipping fee.
- When will the tipping/disposal fee begin?
Beginning in January 2024, a tipping fee of $40/ton will be charged for residential and commercial trash disposed of by commercial waste haulers at the Prince William County Landfill and at the Fairfax County waste-to-energy facility for disposal of municipal solid waste/trash generated in Prince William County.
- How much revenue is the County projected to earn from the tipping fee?
The landfill tipping fee for commercial refuse will change from $0 to $40 per ton beginning January 1, 2024, and is estimated to generate about $5.7 million in additional revenue during the second half of FY24.
- Have the projected funds from the tipping fee been earmarked? If so, what for?
The Solid Waste Division is an enterprise fund. As an enterprise fund, the division must generate the revenue required for its operation. The revenue received from the landfill tipping fee will primarily be used to cover landfill construction costs. However, fees will also help fund operations, programs, and services related to waste disposal, waste reduction, and litter prevention. The Division does not receive money from the General Fund where property, real estate, and other taxes are held and used to operate the vast and various programs and services of our County.
- Will my trash, recycling and yard waste collection bill increase?
The tipping fee that begins in January 2024 may impact what a commercial collection company charges its customers. Individual residents, businesses, and HOAs may experience an increase in the price of trash collection services.
A tipping fee is not applied to yard waste disposal and recyclable materials are not brought to the landfill by commercial haulers.
Note: The County does not have the authority to regulate the price companies charge their customers. Most customers have the option to change the company they do business with, or bring their trash, recycling, and yard waste to one of the County's solid waste facilities.
- Other questions or comments about solid waste fees ...
Email the Solid Division at [email protected].