Most streets were able to reopen the day after an 84-inch pipe burst that flooded part of downtown Montreal on Friday, but it will take several more weeks before everything is repaired.
Saturday morning, all streets were reopened to traffic. The portion of René-Lévesque Boulevard between Notre-Dame Street and De Lorimier Avenue will remain closed for a good part of the weekend.
The 84-inch transmission line broke and damaged a secondary water line and a secondary sewer line. Both lines are expected to be repaired by the end of the week.
« Notre objectif est de remettre en ordre les éléments endommagés et ensuite rouvrir le plus rapidement possible cette portion [à la circulation]explains the administrative spokesperson for the City of Montreal, Philippe Sabourin.
We are talking about a few weeks of repairs due to the lack of availability of parts in the very short term.
Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the City of Montreal
In total, no fewer than 150,000 people were affected, or nearly 30,000 doors in the area. As of Saturday morning, up to 400 people were still without electricity.
The large quantities of water lost following the pipe break resulted in lower levels in the City’s reservoirs, causing a drop in pressure in the aqueducts. This pressure is essential to prevent any contaminants from entering the water network.
The preventive boil water advisory for residents located between the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, the far east of Montreal and the south of Sherbrooke Street will therefore remain in effect for the next 24 to 48 hours, giving the City time to carry out the two tests that will allow it to assess the quality of the water.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
City of Montreal spokesperson Philippe Sabourin
We take zero chances when it comes to water quality in Montreal.
Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the City of Montreal
“We avoided the worst”
According to the City, investments in recent years have made it possible to minimize the consequences of such a break on the population. The development of knowledge over the last 20 years about the network has also allowed municipal teams to “quickly” close the valve and thus contain the leak.
“We avoided the worst thanks to investments in recent years,” says Philippe Sabourin. “Twenty years ago, we could not have done without an 84-inch pipe, because it would have had major and dramatic consequences for the population.”
According to him, the presence of the Rosemont reservoir and the “closure of the east” have made it possible to avoid a shortage of drinking water for citizens. Mr. Sabourin adds that the maintenance of the network in recent years has also made it possible to halve the number of breaks per 100 kilometres.
The Ville-Marie borough is mobilizing
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Workers remove damaged equipment from Télé-Québec premises.
To help residents affected by the flooding caused by the broken pipe, the Ville-Marie borough has set up a collection for items they want to get rid of. Debris and objects can be placed on the side of the road so that City teams can pick them up.
Philippe Sabourin also explains that the complaints office is also available to citizens in need.
Each disaster victim has 15 days following the date of the event to make their claim request, even if it is not complete. However, he invites people to contact their insurance first.
(Re)read “What happened?”
(Re)read Maxime Bergeron’s column: “Dark summer for the water supply network”