Montreal water services defends lead pipe awareness campaign
City issued thousands of notices in the mail last week to residents warning them about lead pipes
The head of Montreal's water services is standing by the city's controversial awareness campaign about lead pipes following backlash from landlords and residents.
Chantal Morissette defended the campaign and says its safety recommendations came from Montreal's public health authorities.
"I think the city's campaign is good since it is aiming at informing people," Morissette said.
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Last week, the city issued notices in the mail to 360,000 Montrealers, informing owners and residents of buildings constructed prior to 1970 that their plumbing could be made of lead and should be changed to avoid negative health effects, particularly for pregnant women and young children under the age of six.
The pamphlets also offer advice on water-quality testing and on how to limit the harm caused by the toxic metal.
Up to 128,000 residences across Montreal could be affected, but Morissette believes residents will be okay so long as they follow the advice on the pamphlet.
"It's not a huge health issue in Montreal," Morissette said. "We know where the concentrations are the highest."
'It's ridiculous'
For Plateau–Mont-Royal resident Erick Provost, the pamphlet and the city's response are inadequate.
His wife is six months pregnant and he is worried that lead might harm his unborn child.
Provost said he called Public Works four times to find out whether his building's service line contains lead, but didn't get an answer. He would like to see the city acting more responsibly.
"It's ridiculous. It's unfair that this is the city's reaction to something that's so important to people and can affect people so profoundly."
When he called the 311 info line to learn more about the risks associated with lead, he says he was told to re-read the notice.
"The city has no idea what to answer you," Provost said. "311 has effectively the same information as the pamphlet does."