35% of Quebec residents living in 12 different sectors will have their drinking water restricted starting tomorrow morning, Wednesday, due to work to repair a major water supply pipe break in the Rivières sector.
In order to maintain drinking water quality and reduce episodes of cloudy water, the closing date for work in these sectors is from 7 a.m. Wednesday to July 5, when cleaning, watering and use of drinking water will be prohibited.
This will avoid the usual “peaks” in water consumption
For Wednesday and Thursday (June 26 and 27), citizens are advised to limit household water use (eg dishwashers) and store water for food consumption.
We recommend buying bottled water or filling water jugs before 7am on Wednesday.
Those who do not respect these restrictions will be fined between $1000 and $2000. About 175,000 people will be affected by the restrictions.
Beginning Wednesday, residents are urged to call 3-11 if they notice cloudy water coming out of their faucets.
Recognizing that repairing the 42-inch pipe is a “delicate operation,” Quebec’s mayor Bruno Marchand asserted that “we have the teams, the skills and the expertise.”
Stevens LeBlanc/Journal de Quebec
Cooperation is requested
“If we all work together, there will be no significant impact on citizens,” he added.
The use of cloudy water is not recommended, especially for at-risk populations such as pregnant women and children.
Quebec City experts said they don’t see any major health problems for citizens.
Restaurant owners and hoteliers have been notified of the situation in recent days by the Marchand administration so that they can prepare. Some pipelines have been diverted to allow hospitals to circumvent these restrictions.
The pipe in question is 42 inches long and is located in an area near rue de Chamarolles in the borough of Rivières. It is one of the three most important aqueducts in Quebec City.
Primarily, the municipality believes the breach was “an isolated incident,” but work must begin to fully understand its nature.
Repairs will be done locally by Quebec City blue-collar workers.
Although the latter recently observed a three-day strike over their collective bargaining agreement, Mayor Marchant does not anticipate any problems as it is a public safety issue.
The cost of this work is currently unknown.
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