The return to normal will probably not occur before the end of the day on Thursday in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, where more than half of the population has still been deprived of running water for more than 48 hours, after a major pipe break in the municipality. The authorities are calling on citizens to avoid the emergency room at the Haut-Richelieu Hospital.
Mayor Andrée Bouchard no longer has any hope of restoring the situation before the end of Thursday and has just declared a local state of emergency. Some 26,000 addresses, where 56,000 people live, are without water. Mme Bouchard affirms that the situation should last until the end of the day Thursday, time to plug the break and resupply everyone.
Until then, 14 schools will remain closed Thursday and Friday due to “the absence of drinking water and the inaccessibility of sanitary blocks in the areas,” announced the Hautes-Rivières School Service Center in a press release.
“Water is vital,” said M.me Bouchard, at a press conference. “I appeal to the solidarity of citizens and businesses in order to reduce their consumption. »
“Given the complexity of the situation, the return of drinking water supply to the west bank [du Richelieu] remains undetermined,” indicated the City’s emergency measures manager, Jean Arsenault, during the same press conference. The state of emergency “grants exceptional powers to the City, in order to take immediate solution actions in the context of a complex and evolving situation,” indicates Saint-Jean in a press release.
Bottled water distribution points have been set up by the City at Carrefour Richelieu (600, rue Pierre-Caisse) and at the terminus (800, rue Boucher). Hundreds of cars lined up late in the afternoon at Carrefour Richelieu to get bottles of water.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
“Since yesterday afternoon, it’s been non-stop,” summarizes André Marquis, from the City’s Leisure Department. “All municipal services are involved in trying to make this as smooth as possible,” he adds.
A hospital affected
In the middle of the afternoon, the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) Montérégie-Centre asked the population to avoid the emergency room at the Haut-Richelieu Hospital due to problems related to the breakdown of ‘aqueduct. A water cut indeed affects the activities of the health establishment.
The City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu had however assured earlier that it was maintaining a “safety corridor” for water supply to the establishment.
“We are therefore updating our emergency measures plan and deploying our contingency plans. There will be variations in our services offered. The situation is evolving rapidly,” explained a CISSS spokesperson, Chantal Vallée, by email.
She assured that in other CISSS facilities, activities are being maintained for the moment. “Certain services could be modulated differently depending on the situation, we are monitoring its evolution closely”, however specified Mme Valley.
“The services offered continue to be safe. However, we are raising awareness among the population to avoid emergencies for non-urgent health problems so that resources remain available for critical cases,” the spokesperson also argued.
Failed at first attempt
Initially, the pipe rupture occurred during construction at the intersection of Saint-Jacques and Caldwell streets on Monday. The drinking water pipe in question has a diameter of 75 centimeters and supplied the Saint-Luc, L’Acadie, Saint-Jean and Île Sainte-Thérèse districts.
Around ten workers were still busy repairing the said pipe at the end of the day. “We all feel a little guilty despite everything,” said one of them, even if everything indicates that the fault is not human.
“Repair work on the water main is progressing,” the City said. This is a complex and technical operation that requires time and specialized parts. »
A first attempt at repair failed in the last hours, the municipality said, forcing workers and engineers to turn to other solutions.
“On site, citizens can receive two four-liter containers of drinking water free of charge per address. Distribution is done via a drive-thru service at both locations,” indicates the City. “It is important to bring your own bottles or containers. Filling is done independently. »
Some residents in affected areas continue to receive very low water flow in their taps. This water must be boiled before consumption and must be spared, indicates Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, launching a “call for solidarity”.