Boil-water advisory lifted in eastern Montreal after water main break

The city of Montreal has lifted a boil-water advisory in effect for parts of eastern Montreal since Friday morning after a major water main burst, flooding streets, homes and businesses near the Jacques Cartier Bridge.

The preventative advisory affected about 150,000 residents in the eastern half of the island of Montreal south of Sherbrooke Street, including Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles and Montréal-Est.

The break in the water main on Friday created a massive geyser on René-Lévesque Boulevard, east of de Lorimier Avenue, just before 6 a.m. 

The water rushed into nearby streets, flooding around 50 residences and 20 businesses, according to the city. The break was under control by the early afternoon. 

Major arteries closed due to the flooding were reopened later in the day, but a section of René-Lévesque near de Lorimier remains closed to traffic. Work to repair the pipe and the road is continuing Sunday. 

The city of Montreal said people can drink their tap water again after tests show the situation is back to normal in the area located south of Sherbrooke Street, between Alphonse D-Roy on the west side and Pointe de l'Île on the east side.

There are still some precautions to take before water is safe for consumption and use: 

• Turn on cold water taps and let the water run for a few minutes prior to consumption.
• The same is necessary with all outdoor taps, hoses and drinking fountains.
• Empty, wash and disinfect coffee machines and ice-making machines.
• Change the filters if you have a water treatment or filtration system (pitcher, faucet filter or under-sink filter, refrigerator water dispenser, etc.)

Weeks before water main, roads fixed

Montreal city spokesperson Phillipe Sabourin says it will be weeks before the water main — and the roads and sidewalks in the surrounding area — are fixed. 

That's partly because the city doesn't have all the necessary parts and equipment on hand. 

The pipe was installed in 1984, Sabourin says, but they normally have an average lifespan of 100 years. He says city engineers are still looking into what happened to the two-metre-wide drinking water conduit and will be considering all factors. 

Sabourin says the work begins with fixing a small pipe and sewer nearby that was damaged, then crews will work on temporarily reopening the stretch of road on René-Lévesque near de Lorimier. 

Sabourin is reminding people they have 15 days to file a claim for damage.