GSWSA Tap & Impact Fees, Myrtle Beach Area (2026)
Outside the city limits around Myrtle Beach, water and sewer usually come from the Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA). It began serving the unincorporated area east of the Intracoastal Waterway. Today it serves from the North Carolina line into parts of Georgetown County, plus rural areas west of the Waccamaw River. For a new single-family home on a lot in a developer-built subdivision, where the water service line and sewer lateral already reach the property line, GSWSA’s posted new service fees add up to a $1,225 water impact fee + $2,735 sewer impact fee + $630 meter base fee + $80 sewer connection inspection fee + $40 new service installation fee = $4,710 (GSWSA Rates, New Service Fees). If GSWSA has to make the taps itself, the $790 water tap and $1,020 sewer tap fees apply instead, and the total is $5,810 or more. The biggest caveat is the impact fees. They are $3,960 of that total, they rose about 80% in 2026 (the timing suggests the fiscal year that began July 1, 2026, but GSWSA prints no effective date), and in many new subdivisions the developer has already prepaid them for your lot.
Horry County tap and connection charges at a glance
GSWSA charges impact fees per residential equivalent unit (REU). Its July 2026 Developer Policy Manual counts each residence as one REU, or 250 gallons per day, whether it is a house, condo or apartment. Tap fees are flat amounts, and GSWSA’s rates page does not list them by meter size. It adds that “other rates may apply” and that commercial customers must ask for a quote. The page also says certain areas may have supplemental impact fees but publishes no amounts for them. The table below also shows fees a typical GSWSA home does not pay: the refundable security deposit and the City of Myrtle Beach’s fees, which apply only where the city is the utility.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General — Account Setup | ||||||||
| General | Account Setup | New Service Installation Fee | — | $40 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| General — Deposit | ||||||||
| General | Deposit | Property Owner Security Deposit (Water & Sewer) | — | $90 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer — Impact | ||||||||
| Sewer | Impact | Connection (Impact) Fee - Sewer, In City (300 GPD) | — | $2,183 | per unit | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
| Sewer | Impact | Connection (Impact) Fee - Sewer, Out of City (300 GPD) | — | $3,274 | per unit | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
| Sewer | Impact | Impact Fee Per Residential Equivalent Unit (Sewer) | — | $2,735 | per equivalent residential unit | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer — Inspection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Inspection | Sewer Connection Inspection Fee | — | $80 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer — Tap | ||||||||
| Sewer | Tap | 6" Sewer Tap | — | $3,318 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
| Sewer | Tap | Tap Fee (Sewer) | — | $1,020 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Impact | ||||||||
| Water | Impact | Connection (Impact) Fee - Water, In City (300 GPD) | — | $2,302 | per unit | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
| Water | Impact | Connection (Impact) Fee - Water, Out of City (300 GPD) | — | $3,453 | per unit | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
| Water | Impact | Impact Fee Per Residential Equivalent Unit (Water) | — | $1,225 | per equivalent residential unit | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Meter | ||||||||
| Water | Meter | Meter Base Fee | — | $630 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Tap | ||||||||
| Water | Tap | Tap Fee (Water) | — | $790 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water | Tap | Water Tap Fee (setting meter), 1" | 1" | $1,429 | by meter size | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
| Water | Tap | Water Tap Fee (setting meter), 3/4" | 3/4" | $1,125 | by meter size | — | Official source | 2026-09-25 Confirm with utility |
What a new Horry County house pays: worked example
Assumptions: one detached house counted as one REU, GSWSA providing both water and sewer, and no supplemental impact fee area. GSWSA prints no effective date on the rates page. The impact fees there were still $680 (water) and $1,520 (sewer) in the Internet Archive copy from May 21, 2026, and the Board adopted its budget and revenue resolution for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2027 and 2028 on June 22, 2026. From those two facts we infer that the current amounts are FY2027 fees; GSWSA has not published the date they took effect.
Which tap-related fees you pay depends on who built the service connections. In a subdivision, the developer’s contractor installs the mains and runs each water service line and sewer lateral to the property line. After GSWSA accepts the system, its work orders are to “install water meters” and “inspect sewer connections” (Developer Policy Manual, July 2026, section 4.3). So cases A and B below count the meter base fee and the sewer connection inspection fee. Case C is a lot with no service stubs, where GSWSA makes the water and sewer taps. The rates page does not spell this split out, so treat it as our reading of GSWSA’s documents and confirm it for your lot.
One-time utility charges for one house (sources: GSWSA Rates; City of Myrtle Beach Water and Sewer Tap Fees, FY2023).
| Charge | A. GSWSA subdivision lot, you pay impact fees | B. GSWSA subdivision lot, impact fees prepaid | C. GSWSA lot, GSWSA makes the taps | D. City of Myrtle Beach, in city (FY2023 sheet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water impact fee | $1,225 | prepaid | $1,225 | $2,302 |
| Sewer impact fee | $2,735 | prepaid | $2,735 | $2,183 |
| Water tap fee | n/a | n/a | $790 | $1,125 (3/4″) |
| Meter base fee | $630 | $630 | not stated | n/a |
| Sewer tap fee | n/a | n/a | $1,020 | $3,318 (6″) |
| Sewer connection inspection | $80 | $80 | n/a | n/a |
| New service installation | $40 | $40 | $40 | n/a |
| Total of published amounts | $4,710 | $750 | $5,810 | $8,928 |
The arithmetic: A is $1,225 + $2,735 + $630 + $80 + $40 = $4,710. B drops the two impact fees ($3,960) and leaves $750. C is $1,225 + $2,735 + $790 + $1,020 + $40 = $5,810. D is $2,302 + $2,183 + $1,125 + $3,318 = $8,928. A Myrtle Beach customer outside the city limits pays the out-of-city impact fees of $3,453 and $3,274, which brings D to $11,170.
The rates page lists the $790 water tap, $630 meter base, $1,020 sewer tap and $80 inspection fees side by side without saying which apply when. It also does not say whether the meter base fee is added on top of a water tap; if it is, case C rises to $6,440. Adding every listed charge gives $6,520, but a lot should not need both a sewer tap and a connection inspection. Ask GSWSA before you budget. It says connection fees cannot be set until customer service looks up the lot by address, subdivision, lot number and tax map number (GSWSA, Applying for Service to a New Home).
Before the FY2027 change, the same case A came to $2,950 ($680 + $1,520 + $630 + $80 + $40). The tap, meter base, inspection and installation fees did not change. The whole $1,760 increase came from the impact fees.
Myrtle Beach area vs. Charleston, Greenville and Fort Mill
At Charleston Water System, a new home with a 3/4-inch meter pays $12,060 in 2026, about two and a half times GSWSA’s $4,710 for a subdivision lot. In Greenville, an in-city home pays $10,543 from October 1, 2026, when ReWa’s sewer fee goes up. Fort Mill is the closest match: the Town’s FY2025-26 capacity and activation fees for a 3/4-inch tap come to $5,470, but meter work is billed on top at cost plus 10%. None of these totals includes the private water line or sewer lateral.
What is not included in Horry County fees
GSWSA’s fees pay for capacity and for its own tap, meter and inspection work. In a new subdivision, the developer’s contractor builds the mains, and the record drawings show each sewer service lateral ending at the property line (GSWSA Developer Policy Manual, July 2026). The owner still pays for the lines between that point and the house. Budget for this private work separately:
- Water service line, meter to house: $30 to $150 per foot, about $50 typical, trenching included (national estimate).
- Sewer lateral, 4 to 6 inch PVC: $50 to $250 per foot, about $100 typical, trenching included (national estimate).
- Plumbing permit: $100 to $1,300, about $300 typical (national estimate). We have no Horry County permit amount on file.
- Refundable deposit: GSWSA asks property owners for a $90 security deposit for water and sewer ($140 for tenants).
Take a lot with a 50-foot water line and a 50-foot lateral. At typical rates that is 50 × $50 = $2,500 plus 50 × $100 = $5,000, or $7,500 in private work. That is more than GSWSA’s fees in case A. Figures from our national benchmark set.
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
How and when Horry County fees are paid
- Individual homes: apply for new service at GSWSA’s Conway, Marion or Little River office. Bring the 911 address, subdivision name and lot number, and the tax map (PIN) number. GSWSA quotes the fees after it looks up the lot.
- Subdivisions: the developer’s engineer submits the developer project fees with the request for the pre-construction conference, before GSWSA issues the notice to proceed. Prepaid impact fees stay assigned to the parcels in the development, and they must be recorded in the deed when a parcel is split. Payment does not guarantee immediate service. The lines must be finished, approved by the state (SCDES) and accepted by GSWSA first.
- The fee schedule in force on the day you pay applies, not the one in force when you got a quote. A quote from before the 2026 increase used the lower impact fees.
- Monthly minimums start right away. GSWSA begins the base and availability charges as soon as impact fees are paid, because payment reserves the service.
- Optional service line coverage: after connection, GSWSA sells service line maintenance for the lines between the main and the house, at $2.85 a month for a water and sewer account.
Horry County fee changes to watch
GSWSA, FY2027 (inferred): impact fees went from $680 to $1,225 (water) and from $1,520 to $2,735 (sewer) per REU, about 80% each. The rates page gives no effective date; the higher amounts appeared after the May 21, 2026 archive copy, and the Board adopted its FY2027-28 budget and revenue resolution on June 22, 2026. GSWSA hired Raftelis for a rate and impact fee study, presented to the Board on April 27, 2026. The study showed capital spending rising steeply after fiscal year 2026. The resolution adopted June 22, 2026 covers two fiscal years, through June 30, 2028. It was not posted online when we checked, so we can’t tell if another step is scheduled for July 1, 2027.
City of Myrtle Beach: its tap and impact fee sheet is headed FY2023 and cites ordinances from 2018 and 2021. It is still the sheet linked from the city’s Public Works page, but it is more than three years old. The city posted a new monthly rate sheet effective August 2026, which we could not open. Confirm the amounts with the city’s Engineering Division (843-918-2076) before you close.
Horry County connection fee questions
How much are water and sewer tap fees for a new home near Myrtle Beach?
In the Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority area, the posted new service fees for one house on a subdivision lot total $4,710: $3,960 in impact fees, a $630 meter base fee, an $80 sewer connection inspection fee and a $40 new service fee. If the developer prepaid the impact fees, you pay about $750. A lot where GSWSA must make the water and sewer taps pays the $790 and $1,020 tap fees instead, $5,810 in all.
What are GSWSA impact fees in 2026?
$1,225 for water and $2,735 for sewer per residential equivalent unit, and each home counts as one unit. That is $3,960 for both, up from $2,200 before the FY2027 change. Some areas also have supplemental impact fees.
Did GSWSA raise its fees in 2026?
Yes, the impact fees. They rose about 80%, from $2,200 to $3,960 for both, between the May 21, 2026 archive copy of the rates page and September 2026. GSWSA prints no effective date; the Board adopted its FY2027-28 budget and revenue resolution on June 22, 2026. The tap fees ($790 water, $1,020 sewer), the meter base fee ($630), the inspection fee ($80) and the installation fee ($40) did not change.
Are Myrtle Beach city fees the same as GSWSA’s?
No. The City of Myrtle Beach runs its own utility east of the Intracoastal Waterway. Its FY2023 sheet lists impact fees of $2,302 for water and $2,183 for sewer inside the city, a $1,125 tap for a 3/4-inch meter and a $3,318 six-inch sewer tap, $8,928 in all.
Who pays for the sewer lateral in a new Horry County subdivision?
In a GSWSA subdivision, the developer’s contractor installs the sewer system, and GSWSA’s record drawings show each service lateral ending at the property line. The line from there to the house is private work for the builder or owner. At a national estimate of about $100 per foot installed, a 50-foot lateral runs about $5,000.
Is the Myrtle Beach area cheaper than Charleston for utility connections?
Yes. GSWSA’s $4,710 for a subdivision lot is well under half of Charleston Water System’s $12,060 for a new home with a 3/4-inch meter in 2026. Even a lot where GSWSA makes the taps ($5,810) is less than half.
More on Horry County and nearby cities
Up the coast, Wilmington’s CFPUA tap and system development charges are the nearest comparison. Elsewhere in South Carolina, see Charleston, Greenville and Fort Mill, or the national tap fees by city table. Related guides: tap fee vs. impact fee, sewer tap fee, sewer lateral cost and the utility connection cost calculator.
Horry County fee sources
- Rates (New Service Fees, deposits, service line maintenance), Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority. Checked Sep 25, 2026. Earlier amounts from the Internet Archive copy of the same page dated May 21, 2026.
- Applying for Service to a New Home, Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Water and Wastewater Developer Policy Manual, effective July 1, 2026, Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Board meeting minutes, April 27, May 26 and June 22, 2026 (Raftelis rate and impact fee study; Resolution 03-26), Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- GSWSA History (service area), Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Water and Sewer Tap Fees, FY2023 and Public Works Department, City of Myrtle Beach. Checked Sep 25, 2026.
- Tap & Impact Fees, Charleston Water System; 2026 Development Fees, Greenville Water; New Account Fees, ReWa; Fee Schedule FY 2025-26, Town of Fort Mill (comparison figures).
- National cost estimates: Utility Cost Guide benchmark methodology.