Large area of Montreal under boil-water advisory after 'enormous' water main erupts

Residents were under a boil water warning and several roads were closed after a large water pipe broke in Montreal's Ville-Marie district, sending water several meters into the air, flooding streets and basements.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told reporters Friday morning that the repair of the pipe, which he described as "very large" about a meter wide, would likely take hours.
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Pictured: A major water pipe burst flooded the streets of Montreal
The city has issued a boil water warning for the three regions of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Riviere-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles and the city of Montreal East. A map of the affected residences is available here.
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The City of Montreal website says residents should boil their water for at least one minute before drinking.
Officials say the drop in water pressure in the distribution network prompted the warning, which they called "precautionary."
The City of Montreal has issued a precautionary boil water warning in several areas after a water main broke in the city's downtown area on Friday, August 16, 2024. (Source: City of Montreal)
A water pipe burst at 6:00 a.m. on Boulevard Rene Luzac at Rue de Lorimier, causing water to spill into the streets. About half an hour later, a huge gush of water erupted about 20 meters high.
Ankle-deep water spread over a significant portion of the neighborhood as fast-moving floodwaters rushed south on Notre-Dame Street, north on St. Catherine Street, west of Papineau, and through inner neighborhoods.
This pipeline supplies drinking water to the east of the city. The cause of the broken water pipe is currently unknown.
By 10 a.m., the gush had subsided to about six feet as the water began to recede.
"Firefighters are going door to door and some have been ordered to evacuate their homes and workplaces," Plante said. "The Red Cross is here to help people who need to move."
Firefighters say that about 100 houses were damaged by the flood.
Chantal Morissette, the city's water services officer, said the pipe was only carrying potable water and that the water in the street is not a danger to residents.
However, this risk exists for buildings. Residents will not be able to return home until firefighters assess the damage that could compromise the structural integrity of the homes.
"It's not just people living in basements," Plant said, referring to the apartments in the area. "These people are in the buildings." Electricity has also been cut off in several houses.
When does the water stop flowing?
While the water levels have dropped significantly since the break, Morisset says the city has four taps that need to be shut off before the water stops completely.
It takes about two hours to close each of those valves.

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