The City of Montreal is asking residents and businesses to reduce drinking water consumption as emergency repairs leave only one major watermain operating in an area that supplies water to about 1.3 million people.
The city shut down a watermain beneath Atwater Avenue following an inspection in May, after monitoring equipment detected weaknesses that engineers feared could lead to a rupture. Two of the watermain’s four sections have since been repaired, according to the city.
The repairs involve replacing six-metre sections of the watermain.
The closure comes as two other watermains in the same area are already out of service for reconstruction or reconditioning work.
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As a result, only one watermain remains in operation in the area, putting additional pressure on Montreal’s drinking water infrastructure during the summer, when demand is typically at its highest.
Despite the infrastructure constraints, water consumption has so far remained below the level that would trigger additional restrictions.
Montreal reported consumption of 1.21 billion litres on August 5, below the city’s threshold of 1.4 billion litres per day.
The city said emergency repairs are required this summer and is calling on residents, industrial facilities, businesses and institutions to collectively reduce water use while the work continues.
To conserve drinking water, Montreal has suspended decorative fountains and non-essential watering, as well as continuous pipe flushing and some sewer-cleaning and street-washing operations.
The city is encouraging residents to continue conserving water to avoid placing additional strain on the system.
Montreal estimates that each resident uses approximately 306 litres of water per day. Residential use accounts for about 65% of the city’s total water consumption, while commercial, industrial and institutional users account for the remaining 35%.
Within homes, showers and baths account for approximately 40% of water use, followed by toilets at 24% and laundry at 17%.
Among the conservation measures recommended by the city are limiting daytime watering in accordance with municipal regulations, collecting rainwater in barrels and covering swimming pools to reduce evaporation.
Residents are also being encouraged to keep drinking water in the refrigerator rather than running taps until the water becomes cold, and to avoid leaving water running while washing dishes.
