Montreal city workers search for cause of major water main break

MONTREAL – City workers and engineers began excavating near the intersection of Dr. Penfield Ave. and McTavish St. Tuesday morning to find the cause of a major water main break that flooded many parts of downtown during Monday’s rush hour, including parts of McGill University.

The city said it still doesn’t know what caused the 88-year-old steel-bolted water main to break, sending water cascading down several streets and flooding underground parking garages. “Excavating will give us the answers,” said city spokesperson Jacques-Alain Lavallée.

The city is also trying to determine the cause of a leak in another main, a 54-inch conduit that is also linked with the McTavish Reservoir.

Lavallée said the breaks could be the result of human error, wildly fluctuating temperatures or vibrations from the many cars and trucks that use the streets above the water mains.

“We have always said that the underground network in Montreal is very old and this is why we are working to replace things,” Lavallée said.

The water main is one of four major conduits that leads out of the aging McTavish Reservoir, which provides water for 500,000 Montrealers. The city is spending $1.3 billion to update the city’s aged water-distribution system, including overhauling the leaky conduits from the 37-million gallon McTavish Reservoir, which dates back to 1852.

The leaks have both sprung while $16.4 million in work was underway to repair McTavish Reservoir conduits. The contract to repair the water mains is being done by Louisbourg Construction, which is owned by the family of controversial businessman Tony Accurso.

Another city spokesperson, Philippe Sabourin, said the reservoir is safe and is working well. “The quality of the water has never been compromised,” he said. “The broken water main is outside the reservoir. If one of the mains doesn’t work, we can use the other ones.”

Although the city managed to shut off the water from the 48-inch pipe Monday night, water continued to flood downhill along the eastern flank of the downtown McGill University campus. The fresh leak appears to originate from a 54-inch-diameter conduit runs east-west near Pine Ave. W. and University St. At 9 a.m., water was still running on the eastern flank of the campus, ankle-deep.

A makeshift dam – cobbled together using snow, recycling bins and several sheets of plywood – was diverting some of the flow from near the north entrance of the MacConnell Engineering Building to municipal storm sewers near the corner of University and Milton Sts.

The second leak, Lavallée said, appears to originate under or near University St., south of Pine Ave. W.

The immense flow from the first broken pipe had swept through the campus along McTavish St. and into the city core late Monday afternoon; it was stemmed when the main was shut early Monday evening.

The volume from that second leak displayed considerably less ferocity than the torrent unleashed into the downtown core Monday afternoon:

“The quantity … is not as significant as it was yesterday,” Lavallée said. “Until there’s a proper excavation, I cannot confirm exactly what caused all this.”

Many of the pipes in the area date from 1924, he said.

Asked to confirm that two of the four major McTavish conduits now appear to have been compromised, Lavallée responded: “I would say so. But the main source of what happened yesterday is the 48-inch” main.

Overnight, Lavallée said, “our top priority was to ensure that no one would get injured. That’s why our blue-collars have spread abrasives and salt all night long.”

Lavallée said he was not aware of any reports of injuries.

Meanwhile, Wilson Hall and the Birks Building on the downtown McGill University campus have been shut Tuesday as a result of Monday afternoon’s flooding, “and classes in those buildings are cancelled this morning,” the school said.

As well, FACE School on University St. has also been shut for the day, “due to flooding in area,” the English Montreal School Board announced.

“Cleanup crews have worked all night,” McGill said in an update on its website.

“Classes are being relocated from the Wong Building, and physics labs are cancelled in Wong today.

“Finally, the James Administration Building is closed until noon as cleanup on the first and second floors continues.”

“Please avoid the Milton Gate,” at the corner of University St., the McGill statement advised.

“This area … continues to be flooded. Please access the lower campus from the Roddick Gates or the MacTavish St. entrance.”

“The north entrance to the McConnell Engineering Building is closed, except for emergencies.”