City staff described recent capital work and near-term projects intended to bolster reliability for Ellensburg's water transmission and distribution system.

Mike Helgason, assistant public works director, said the Illinois well (drilled in 2019) was tested at roughly 3,000 gallons per minute and has pumped in-service at about 2,500 gpm since outfitting in 2023. He said the well primarily feeds the upper pressure zone and can be routed by a transfer station into the lower zone by gravity when needed. "This well is connected to actually the upper and the lower zone, but mainly, we pump it into the upper zone," Helgason said.

Ryan Liske, public works director, reviewed aging mains and recent repairs. He said many system breaks involve 6- and 8-inch cast-iron mains installed midcentury and described common failure modes (spiral and ring breaks). For many repairs crews "cut out a section of pipe and put in a section of ductile iron pipe," he said; for some breaks the crews use rubber couplers with stainless sleeves (referred to in the session as "Band Aid" couplers).

Staff reported replacement of five of six large valves on a roughly 6-mile transmission main two weeks earlier; the work required isolations that caused temporary outages for dozens of customers in affected areas. Liske said one remaining valve is scheduled for replacement next spring.

On funding and projects, Liske said the 2025-26 budget includes $300,000 for water-mains work and staff are planning a roughly $400,000 Walnut Street replacement project (5th Avenue to University Way) to replace pipe on a 600-foot stretch with four recorded breaks. "So as we go into next year, we have about a $400,000 project we're hoping to do over here on Walnut Street," Liske said, noting construction is hoped for next spring or summer.

Staff said long-term replacement of vintage pipe is a multidecade effort: they estimated about 25,000 feet of 1950s pipe remains and replacement at several hundred feet per year will take many years to complete. Staff flagged procurement and contractor lead-time challenges (e.g., crane availability) that affect repair turnaround times.