Repairs to a major water main that burst near the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal will not be completed for several weeks, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal has warned.
As of Saturday, authorities said most of the streets affected by the flooding had reopened to traffic. Collections were being organized to clear debris from the 50 or so flooded homes and 20 or so businesses.
Witnesses described “a wall of water” several metres high. The geyser erupted around 6 a.m. Friday, forcing firefighters to ask residents in the area to evacuate.
A spokesperson for the City of Montreal, Philippe Sabourin, said that major cleanup operations would be necessary following the rupture of an 84-inch diameter pipe that runs under René-Lévesque Boulevard. A large quantity of water invaded the streets, intersections and basements in the area following this break.
“The infrastructure was blown up, with chunks of asphalt and concrete being torn off,” he said. “A sidewalk fell five feet. It’s gone, just a big hole.”
Repairs will not be able to begin for one to two months because the city does not have the necessary equipment for this type of work, added Mr. Sabourin.
“The priority is to restore order on the ground, reopen the street, even if only temporarily, while we receive the parts to carry out the repairs that will have to be done later,” he said on Saturday.
The cause of the breakage of this pipe, which was installed in 1985, less than forty years ago, is unknown. In principle, these parts have a lifespan of around a hundred years.
One hypothesis is that the main line was exposed to road salt, which caused corruption. “It is too early to determine,” Sabourin said.
Much of the eastern part of the island of Montreal remains under a precautionary boil water advisory, due to the drop in pressure in the water system, which could promote the presence of contaminants. The advisory should be maintained at least until Sunday, depending on the results of water quality tests, the spokesperson said. “We are making zero compromises on the quality of water in Montreal,” he stressed.
Hydro-Québec interrupted the service at the request of emergency services. The approximately 600 customers who were without power quickly increased to 12,000 to 13,000 by mid-morning, as the security perimeter established by the fire and water services was expanded during the morning. However, there were only a little over 300 customers without power by early Saturday afternoon.
Firefighters had asked residents to leave their homes, fearing structural damage to the buildings. The Red Cross was called in to help, but Sabourin said only three people needed emergency shelter.