Main watermain in Montreal to repair: "No way to wait"

"There is no question that we wait, this conduct is too important. Mayor Valerie Plante explained this morning why the City of Montreal must urgently carry out emergency work on the main line supplying Montrealers with drinking water.

Updated October 16, 2019 at 9:31 am Posted on October 16, 2019 at 8:00 am

Raphael Pirro
The Press

A recent inspection found a significant weakness, which forced the city to stop using it to avoid a break that threatens to flood the Little Burgundy district and the Ville-Marie highway.

In the spring, the metropolis carried out auscultation of this pipe, 2.1 meters in diameter, considered "strategic". It supplies drinking water to 1.2 million Montrealers, more than half of the island's population.

The inspection revealed a major problem, a "state of advanced degradation on nearly 40% of the length," says a document given to elected officials. After receiving the results of the auscultation, Montreal decided in mid-July to put the pipe out of service, "in order to avoid any break-up, which could flood an area of ​​Little Burgundy and, possibly, the highway. Ville-Marie. " The pipe is located along the highway between Atwater Avenue and Guy Street.

Valerie Plante praised the work of the employees, which made it possible to avoid the worst. "I am proud that the water department has discovered the problems on this gigantic conduct". She pointed out that this work will limit the costs of repair. The bill is estimated at the moment at 25 million, but it would have been significantly higher in case of breakage.

Montreal elected officials were summoned to an emergency meeting this afternoon to vote on two contracts to begin repairing the faulty pipe as soon as possible. Temporary measures to ensure the drinking water supply for 1.2 million Montrealers and the sustainable repair of the pipe may cost 25 million, according to the first assessments.

Race against time

It is a real race against the clock: the City wants to repair the driving before next summer, while the demand for water will be the strongest. For now, the end of the work is planned for the spring.

Since the closure of the pipe, Montreal uses three smaller pipes, 1.2 meters in diameter each. However, these are "solicited beyond their capacity. The current situation can not continue for a longer period.

"Unfortunately, these imperatives do not allow to respect the normal deadlines inherent in the process of awarding contracts by the authorities. For these obvious reasons, the Water Department recommends the awarding of this first contract as soon as possible, to ensure completion of all work by June 2020, "reads the documents submitted to the elect.

Montreal has sought and obtained permission to override normal contract award times, given the urgency of the situation.

Elected officials will be called to vote today a $ 7.5 million contract to Michaudville. According to Youssef Amane, director of communications for the Mayor's office, the emergency meeting was convened to speed up the process and allow the work to begin as soon as possible. He indicated in passing that the work will have no impact on the drinking water supply for Montrealers.

The work consists of setting up a temporary 75 cm diversion line and rehabilitating a pipe of the same diameter already in place under Saint-Antoine Street, between Atwater Avenue and Guy Street. The site should open tomorrow, once contracts are awarded. The first stage should last 60 days.

Due to the urgency, the contractor will be allowed to work seven days a week from 7 am to 10 pm

Traffic will be heavily compromised in St. Antoine Street. Three of the four lanes will be closed between Atwater and Guy.

Elected officials will be called to another meeting on December 5 to vote for a new contract to permanently repair the 2.1 meters driving today out of service.

In addition to this work, Montreal must at the same time ask Bell to move some of its installed facilities directly over the defective line. It will cost 1.1 million.

– With Pierre-Andre Normandin, Press