A photo of our team at the site of the water main break.

Here is a copy of a letter I sent out to residents of Rembrandt Avenue with Mayor Anthony Housefather and Councillor Mitchell Brownstein:

In the past two weeks, there have been three breaks in the pipe under Kildare Rd. near Rembrandt Ave. that deliver water to your area. This letter explains when we will repair the pipe and why the break happened.

During each break, our crews worked quickly to stop the leak temporarily. However, a permanent solution must wait until the spring as the kind of repair we will make to the pipe is only possible in warm weather. At that time, we will add a protective layer to the pipe, which end the water disruptions cause by this stretch of pipe. Should there be another leak before the spring, we will again try to patch the pipe in such a way as to prevent a leak from happening again.

The extreme cold weather that affected our region recently made the water in the St. Lawrence River colder than usual. When this cold water was sent to our water network in Côte Saint-Luc, it causes a sudden temperature change on the surface of the metal pipe. If the pipe is old or damaged, it can cause sudden breaks. The effect is similar to how a drinking glass might shatter if it is ice cold and you then put hot water into it. That said, we live in a cold climate and we must be prepared for such temperature fluctuations.

As you may be aware, before 2006 the City of Montreal was responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the underground water network in Côte Saint-Luc. Unfortunately, the network wasn’t modernized and repaired to the degree that we would today feel is acceptable. So, when the City of Côte Saint-Luc took over control of the network on January 1, 2006, we made water infrastructure a priority. We studied the state of the aqueduct and sewer system to determine how best to invest in our infrastructure. We also hired an engineering firm—Dessau—to respond to water main breaks quickly—usually within the hour—a response time that was unheard of when Montreal controlled the water network.

Côte Saint-Luc has spent or set aside more than $11 million for repairs, maintenance and improvements to our water infrastructure network from 2006 to 2009. We are also taking advantage a federal-provincial program to help fund municipal infrastructure, such as aqueducts and roads. When funds are available, we make sure to apply, which helps Côte Saint-Luc deliver more value to its taxpayers.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the repeated breaks to the pipe under Kildare Rd. Events like these, however, illustrate why we are spending so much to modernize our underground water network.