Solid Waste System Assessment

Client: Thurston County

Location: Thurston County, Washington

Our team conducted a solid waste system assessment for Thurston County to support their new solid waste management plan (SWMP) and to help meet capital facilities planning needs for six- and 20-year planning horizons. A critical component of the assessment was determining the capacity of the county’s existing transfer station and developing a tool for planning a second transfer facility.

We began by assessing the county’s current solid waste system, including the location and capacity of transfer stations. We then performed a demographic analysis that included the evaluation of 20-year population estimates and data on employment to determine the current and projected distribution of municipal solid waste throughout the county. The results were combined with land use and comp plan data and statistics on waste generation to estimate the distribution of municipal solid waste as in 2030.

These estimates of future solid waste were used as the basis for transportation modeling and siting analysis to identify the best location on which to build future transfer stations. The findings and recommendations were critical during the county’s planning efforts for solid waste budgeting, rate reviews, capital facilities planning, and SWMP updates.