Highlands residents press Kirkland for faster fixes after water pressure drop; city outlines short‑term rebates and a multi‑year plan

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…