Resident appeals large water bill; council committee recommends leak adjustment criteria

A Grand Ridge resident, Anand (Mr.) Mudd, spoke during public comment on Oct. 20 asking the council to make an equitable adjustment after a buried irrigation leak produced an estimated 915,000 gallons of recorded consumption while the household was away. Mudd said city digital metering logged a large spike weeks before the posted door tag notification and that the household received no timely phone call, text or email to alert them, which eliminated an opportunity to intervene.

Mudd requested the council authorize an equitable adjustment that would reclassify roughly 95% of the bill (the portion billed at block‑5, high‑tier rates) to a base or lower rate, noting the leak was on an outdoor irrigation/fountain line and was repaired immediately once discovered. He supplied data to the city and compared Issaquah’s approach to Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond.

Council Member Marks reported the Services, Safety & Parks Committee reviewed proposed language and recommended criteria to adjust leak bills: the leak must be in the service line and repaired within 30 days of discovery or notification; the adjustment would recalibrate billing to the third tier rather than waive charges entirely; irrigation systems, pools and boat docks would not qualify; and the adjustment would be a one‑time benefit per owner/property. The committee recommended forwarding the proposed language to the full council as part of the consent items.

The consent calendar containing the committee’s recommendation was approved by council on a single motion and passed unanimously 7‑0.

The council did not take individualized action on Mr. Mudd’s account during the Oct. 20 meeting; the committee’s recommended policy language will be part of the council’s packet for future action and will govern eligibility and calculation of leak adjustments if adopted.