Montreal thought water main that caused geyser and flooding could last until 2033

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The water main that burst Friday, generating a geyser and flooding dozens of homes and businesses near the Jacques Cartier Bridge, should have remained sound until about 2033, according to an analysis the city of Montreal conducted in 2018.

Instead, “it deteriorated much more quickly than anticipated,” Chantal Morissette, Montreal’s director of water services, said Tuesday. She said the cause of the failure will be the subject of an in-depth analysis.

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She was speaking to reporters at a briefing where the city revealed details of what previous inspections of the pipe found.

The two-metre-wide conduit, known as a C301 pipe, was installed in 1985 as part of the city’s drinking water network. It consists of a steel cylinder embedded in concrete and reinforced with more than 500 steel wires.

Corrosion — due to water accumulation or road salt, for example — can snap those steel wires, which can cause the pipes to burst.

A 2007 inspection found that 15 of the steel wires were broken in the section of pipe that burst Friday, Morissette said. A follow-up inspection in 2018 found 38 broken steel wires.

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She said the pipe was degrading at a normal rate, adding that such pipes can have up to 65 broken wires.

After the 2018 inspection, the city ordered an analysis that determined that at that rate of deterioration, the pipe could remain in place for about 15 more years, Morissette said.

At the time, experts recommended the pipe be re-inspected in five to seven years.

Morissette said waiting that long for an inspection is the industry standard. Inspections involve shutting the water pipe and sending a robot inside to look for signs of deterioration.

The city had planned to hire a company to conduct a follow-up inspection this year, said Maja Vodanovic, the city executive committee member responsible for water infrastructure.

Montreal has 150 kilometres of C301 pipes.

Of those, 40 kilometres have been reinforced with a protective covering.

The pipe that burst Friday is among the 110 kilometres that have not been reinforced.

Morissette said 90 per cent of the city’s water infrastructure is in good condition and the other 10 per cent is under constant surveillance.

What are the chances of a repeat of Friday’s incident?

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“We’re doing everything we can to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Morissette said. However, “despite all the preventive measures we take, zero risk doesn’t exist.”

She said it’s unclear how long it will take for experts to determine the cause of the break. The city will wait for that analysis before deciding whether to change its inspection practices.

Aref Salem, leader of the opposition Ensemble Montréal party at city hall, said the city isn’t doing enough to prevent another water main break similar to the one that occurred Friday.

“I don’t know if it will happen again … but I’m very concerned because there are 150 kilometres of this type of pipe,” he said.

ariga@postmedia.com

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