The filtration plants that have been providing drinking water to Dorval and Lachine are slated to close within the decade.
The City of Montreal is shuttering them because the plants are coming to the end of their lives.
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Residents of Dorval and Lachine will now get their drinking water from the filtration plants of Pointe-Claire and Atwater, respectively.
Closing the two plants and connecting residents to the new ones won’t be cheap.
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The city needs to invest $235 million to first upgrade the old facilities and build 23 km of water distribution pipes — before the plants can be closed for good.
Officials insist this will save about 30 per cent of the long-term costs.
“Financially, it’s more risky to invest in those two plants than what we are going to do,” explained Sylvain Ouellet, Montreal executive committee member.
Lachine borough mayor Maja Vodanovic said she is thrilled with the decision.
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She explained connecting residents to the water filtration facilities at the Atwater plant means cleaner, fresher water.
“If your primary source is better, your water will be better.”
Dorval residents will be connected to the Pointe-Claire water filtration facility, getting their drinking water from Lac Saint-Louis, like most residents in the southern part of the West Island.
People living in Dorval say they don’t mind the change, but they want to know what will replace the existing one.
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“My worry is, what are they going to do now if they close it?” said resident Michael Di Tommaso.
“Are they going to construct condos? We don’t know.”
City of Montreal officials admit they still don’t know what will become of the plants once they’re closed.
For now, the focus is on phasing them out and connecting residents to their new sources of drinking water.