Warning against using tap water still in effect for some Montreal homes

Those who live at a handful of addresses on Viger, de la Gauchetière and St-Alexandre are still being advised not to use the water, but the warning has been lifted, for the most part.

Residents at handful of addresses on Viger, de la Gauchetière and St-Alexandre still cannot use water

CBC News ·
About 60 firefighters, as well as police and paramedics, were called to a multi-storey building at 445 Viger Street just after 4 p.m. Thursday. (Radio-Canada)

The City of Montreal has lifted, for the most part, a warning against using tap water in part of downtown.

The warning originally affected people living in the area bounded by Bleury Street, St-Antoine Street, Beaver Hall Hill and René-Lévesque Boulevard.

Now, only those living at the following addresses are affected:

  • 443-445-447-449-451-453-455 Viger Street West.
  • 454-456-470 de la Gauchetière Street West.
  • 1030 St-Alexandre Street.

Those who live at those residences should only use tap water to flush the toilet, the city says.

Firefighters were called to 445 Viger around 4 p.m. and discovered a valve on the building's cooling system had failed, which they said possibly sent a substance used to control bacteria and prevent deposits from forming in cooling systems into an aqueduct.

Four people living at that address were taken to hospital with nausea and diarrhea.

Later in the evening, the Environment Ministry sent out a news release saying the substance in the water was a pesticide.

It says "necessary measures" were put in place to ensure the safety of the city's residents, but does not outline what those measures are. A representative from Urgence-Environnement was dispatched to the scene Thursday.

The city says the leak didn't contaminate the water network.