diff --git a/build/includes/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.hpp b/build/includes/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.hpp
index 197d167d4950fadb8bc25e0fbdaa978a57aff4d9..f6db076af5b19b3f04b73ec04084443c07f410c3 100644
--- a/build/includes/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.hpp
+++ b/build/includes/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.hpp
@@ -41,6 +41,5 @@ void initalizeFileAccessActor(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self);
 int writeOutput(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, int indxGRU, int indxHRU, int numStepsToWrite, int returnMessage, caf::actor actorRef);
 int readForcing(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, int currentFile);
 int write(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, int listIndex);
-int parseSettings(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, std::string configPath);
 
 } // end namespace
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build/includes/hru_actor/hru_actor.hpp b/build/includes/hru_actor/hru_actor.hpp
index 9449f185bf7fd452f247dd723327b358f54090f7..2bac162ed56beb2c46a864945c03e1b28f0baa2c 100644
--- a/build/includes/hru_actor/hru_actor.hpp
+++ b/build/includes/hru_actor/hru_actor.hpp
@@ -103,14 +103,6 @@ behavior hru_actor(stateful_actor<hru_state>* self, int refGRU, int indxGRU,
     std::string configPath,
     caf::actor file_access_actor, int outputStrucSize, caf::actor parent);
 
-/**
- * @brief Get the settings from the settings JSON file
- * 
- * @param self Actor State
- * @param configPath Path to the directory that contains the settings file
- */
-void parseSettings(stateful_actor<hru_state>* self, std::string configPath);
-
 /**
  Function to initalize the HRU for running
  */
diff --git a/build/source/actors/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.cpp b/build/source/actors/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.cpp
index 75ee6b97f2ed48cc35a1efa8630cf779cc6dcde0..9a3c41ac9d98207204960ef9847c126118fcea3a 100644
--- a/build/source/actors/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.cpp
+++ b/build/source/actors/file_access_actor/file_access_actor.cpp
@@ -27,13 +27,9 @@ behavior file_access_actor(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, int startGRU
     self->state.err = 0;
 
     // Get Settings from configuration file
-    if (parseSettings(self, configPath) == -1) {
-        aout(self) << "Error with JSON Settings File!!!\n";
-        self->quit();
-    } else {
-        aout(self) << "\nSETTINGS FOR FILE_ACCESS_ACTOR\n" <<
-        "Number of Vectors in Output Structure = " << self->state.num_vectors_in_output_manager << "\n";
-    }
+    self->state.num_vectors_in_output_manager = getSettings(configPath, "FileAccessActor", "num_vectors_in_output_manager", 
+		self->state.num_vectors_in_output_manager).value_or(1);
+        
     initalizeFileAccessActor(self);
 
     return {
@@ -346,28 +342,4 @@ int readForcing(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, int currentFile) {
 
 }
 
-int parseSettings(stateful_actor<file_access_state>* self, std::string configPath) {
-    json settings;
-    std::string SummaActorsSettigs = "/Summa_Actors_Settings.json";
-	std::ifstream settings_file(configPath + SummaActorsSettigs);
-	settings_file >> settings;
-	settings_file.close();
-    
-    if (settings.find("FileAccessActor") != settings.end()) {
-        json FileAccessActorConfig = settings["FileAccessActor"];
-        // Find the File Manager Path
-        if (FileAccessActorConfig.find("num_vectors_in_output_manager") !=  FileAccessActorConfig.end()) {
-            self->state.num_vectors_in_output_manager = FileAccessActorConfig["num_vectors_in_output_manager"];
-        } else {
-            aout(self) << "Error Finding FileManagerPath - Exiting as this is needed\n";
-            return -1;
-        }
-
-        return 0;
-    } else {
-        aout(self) << "Error Finding JobActor in JSON file - Exiting as there is no path for the fileManger\n";
-        return -1;
-    }
-}
-
 } // end namespace
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build/source/actors/hru_actor/hru_actor.cpp b/build/source/actors/hru_actor/hru_actor.cpp
index 50605b7bd2023d08c74d9920f994279ab3de5c99..fb1e3474a8b485c7a6bcabf87d29dc2d36f1faf7 100644
--- a/build/source/actors/hru_actor/hru_actor.cpp
+++ b/build/source/actors/hru_actor/hru_actor.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ behavior hru_actor(stateful_actor<hru_state>* self, int refGRU, int indxGRU,
     self->state.iFile = 1;
 
     // Get the settings for the HRU
-    parseSettings(self, configPath);
+    // parseSettings(self, configPath);
+
+    self->state.printOutput = getSettings(configPath, "HRUActor", "printOutput", 
+		self->state.printOutput).value_or(true);
+    self->state.outputFrequency = getSettings(configPath, "HRUActor", "outputFrequency", 
+		self->state.outputFrequency).value_or(500);
+    
     // We only want to print this once
     if (indxGRU == 1) {
         aout(self) << "\nSETTINGS FOR HRU_ACTOR\n";
@@ -151,41 +157,6 @@ behavior hru_actor(stateful_actor<hru_state>* self, int refGRU, int indxGRU,
      *********************************************************************************************************/
 }
 
-void parseSettings(stateful_actor<hru_state>* self, std::string configPath) {
-    json settings;
-    std::string SummaActorsSettings = "/Summa_Actors_Settings.json";
-    std::ifstream settings_file(configPath + SummaActorsSettings);
-    settings_file >> settings;
-    settings_file.close();
-
-    if (settings.find("HRUActor") != settings.end()) {
-        json HRUActorConfig = settings["HRUActor"];
-        // find if we want to print output to stdout
-        if (HRUActorConfig.find("printOutput") != HRUActorConfig.end()) {
-            self->state.printOutput = HRUActorConfig["printOutput"];
-        } else {
-            aout(self) << "Error finding printOutput in JSON File - Reverting to default value\n";
-            self->state.printOutput = true;
-        }
-
-        if (self->state.printOutput) {
-            // get the frequency in number of timesteps we want to print the output
-            if(HRUActorConfig.find("outputFrequency") != HRUActorConfig.end()) {
-                self->state.outputFrequency = HRUActorConfig["outputFrequency"];
-            } else {
-                aout(self) << "Error finding outputFrequency in JSON File - Reverting to default value\n";
-                self->state.outputFrequency = 10000;
-            }
-        }
-    } else {
-        aout(self) << "Error finding HRUActor in JSON File - Reverting to default values for HRUs\n";
-        self->state.printOutput = true;
-        self->state.outputFrequency = 10000;
-    }
-
-
-}
-
 void Initialize_HRU(stateful_actor<hru_state>* self) {
     self->state.initStart = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
     // aout(self) << "Initalizing HRU" << std::endl;