Residents of the Highlands told the Kirkland City Council on Tuesday that water pressure in their neighborhood dropped after system changes earlier this year and that some households are now operating well below typical pressure norms. City staff said the city launched a rebate program for immediate relief and will evaluate longer‑term system fixes as part of a water system plan update.

What residents reported: Multiple speakers from the Highlands described pressure declines and operational problems. Resident Connie Chapin said her household’s pressure often sits at 20–30 PSI, sometimes falling as low as 3 PSI; she reported multiple costly attempts to retrofit service and said quoted retrofit costs for fire‑safety pumps exceeded $11,000 and could be much higher for more extensive solutions. Engineer and resident Murray McKinney said pressures at some addresses fell roughly 30% after last spring’s system modifications (his house moved from about 68 PSI to 48 PSI) and that he had gathered consultant analysis he says shows a simple system reconnection could restore pressures at far lower cost than individual household retrofits.

City response and immediate help: Public works and city management told council the city’s priority was to provide immediate relief while analyzing longer‑term system options. The City launched a rebate program in June offering two options: a standard rebate (described in council discussion as $7,000 without receipts) or a rebate that reimburses documented costs (cited as up to $14,000 with receipts). City staff also reported that a consultant tested pressure at 48 volunteered homes at an estimated cost of about $2,000 per home and that the city has set aside earlier allocations (about $400,000) to assist residents affected by lower pressure.

Longer‑term evaluation and timing: City staff said the water system plan update in 2026 will analyze long‑term technical fixes, cost estimates and sequencing. Staff warned that full system reconnection or infrastructure changes could require multimillion‑dollar projects and several years for design, permitting and construction. Because long‑term projects could take substantial time, the city said it put the immediate rebate and a program of booster‑pump rebates in place so families are not left without functioning water while the system analysis continues.

Legal and program safeguards: Questions were raised about the rebate program’s legal terms. Councilors and staff discussed the requirement in the existing program that participants may need to sign waivers that resolve claims tied to the pressure loss; staff recommended an executive‑session discussion for council if members wanted to examine legal details of those waivers and the agreement language.

Directions and next steps: Staff told council they will continue to look for methods to accelerate feasible system repairs and to bring options back sooner than the 2026 water plan if possible. Council asked staff to return with clearer maps of affected neighborhoods and with options that could be executed faster than multiyear capital projects where possible. Residents asked that the city prioritize funding for neighborhood‑level solutions rather than requiring homeowners to shoulder retrofit costs.

Ending note: The council did not adopt a new program policy on Tuesday; it authorized staff to continue programs already in place and requested a follow‑up report with a timeline and potential funding strategies for any near‑term capital work.