The City of Montreal is calling on residents to reduce their water consumption over the coming weeks as emergency repairs are carried out on a major aqueduct line beneath Atwater Avenue.
City officials announced Friday that inspections and monitoring of a primary water distribution pipe determined urgent intervention is required in the short term. Work on the damaged conduit is expected to begin within the next few days.
The repairs will require the temporary shutdown of the water main for several weeks at a time when two other major conduits in Montreal’s water network are already offline for reconstruction and rehabilitation projects.
The situation comes as the city heads into the summer season, when water demand typically reaches its highest levels of the year, placing additional pressure on drinking water infrastructure.
To help reduce strain on the system, the city says collective water conservation efforts will be essential.
Montreal and its boroughs will suspend several water-intensive operations during the repair period, including continuous pipe flushing, preventive sewer cleaning and flow testing during fire hydrant inspections. Certain activities such as decorative fountains without recirculation systems, street washing and non-essential watering will also be reduced or paused.
The city says crews will also prioritize repairing leaks on the water network as quickly as possible to minimize water loss.
Residents are being asked to comply with Montreal’s drinking water usage regulations, reduce lawn watering, avoid using water for outdoor cleaning and adopt other daily water-saving measures.
Officials warn that additional restrictions, including a watering ban, could be introduced depending on how the situation evolves in the coming weeks.
