Overnight Upgrade: Kala Point Booster Pump Replacement

While most residents slept, Jefferson County PUD’s water crew worked into the night to replace a damaged booster pump and upgrade valves at the Kala Point well house.

The scheduled outage began at 9 p.m. on October 21 and temporarily affected water service for 196 Kala Point customers. The damaged pump—one of three on site that help maintain system pressure—was originally slated for replacement in 2026 to align with the site’s newer, more efficient three-phase models. Damage caused by the nearby well pump failure in September led to the immediate replacement.

A booster pump is used to increase water pressure and flow as it moves through distribution pipes. Water in the Kala Point region comes from a series of wells, large storage reservoirs, and inter-tie with the PUD’s Quimper water system, the utilities largest, which serves more than 3,700 mid-county customers. Water pressure can drop as it travels long distances or uphill to reach customers, so the pump “boosts” pressure to ensure that faucets, showers, and hydrants have consistent flow.

Taking advantage of the shutdown, crews also replaced check valves and installed a new line pressure gauge to improve system reliability.

All work was completed ahead of schedule, and full water pressure was restored before midnight.