“Aqueduct Académie”: we visited the spectacular school of blue passes assigned to the water service to avoid disasters

In Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier moves especially in the race, his office in his backpack, on the lookout for subjects and fascinating people. However, He speaks to everyone and is interested in all circles in this urban chronicle.

Several generations of aqueduct repairers have learned the work in the field without being able to see the extent. Nevertheless, of the network on which they worked. For example, For eight years, city employees have had a complete training aqueduct and a dynamic model that exhibits cogs and components.

In the Maxim’Eau center, in Anjou, a real network of aqueduct is articulated outside the ground.

Employees of the City of Montreal can literally walk in an imitation of part of this life size maze.

They exercise, in particular, to pierce water intakes or replace sections.

They can examine the different types of pipes. Nevertheless, from the most modern in PVC to those of the beginning of the last century which disintegrate, the valves of derivation and division, the dead ends, the service boxes, etc.

“I see the eyes of the blue passes shining with excitement when they have such a clear vision. ” rejoices Marie-Claude Roy, foreman-formator in the water service.

“aqueduct académie”: we visited spectacular

Expose to understanding

M^me Roy is one of the designers of this Maxim’Eau training center project.

Blue passes learn to do everything: locate a leak. cut the water correctly, dig, repair, fill, reopen the water correctly, etc.

When I go into the training center. I see bounds in partially “skinned” so that we can observe the internal mechanism.

“You have to imagine that you are here underground. At the top. on the metal gateway, you see what is normally visible at the height of the sidewalk, ”she illustrates.

“aqueduct académie”: we visited spectacular

I am not at the end of my surprises.

In another large room, the training aqueduct takes the form of a miniature model with translucent tubes … and it works!

It is the work of a maxim’eau trainer formerly a plumber.

“If we put dye in the water, we can see it circulate in the system … then we “aqueduct académie”: we visited spectacular can simulate contamination. also show our learners the disasters that occur when we do the work”, amaze M^me Roy.

“If we turn off the water while tanker trucks are in the process of filling out. for example, they will make water contaminated in the network,” said the trainer.

When will a museum?

A water can hanging on the wall several meters high takes the place of Mont Royal. Because in Montreal the pressure comes “aqueduct académie”: we visited spectacular from the weight of the water massively contained in containers on the mountain.

“We can simulate ram. empty the excess air of the pipes by the boundaries-fontaines as we would in real life, but with the model” enthuses M^me “aqueduct académie”: we visited spectacular Roy.

Suggestion to the city: why not open an aqueduct museum where the public would have access to captivating explanations. on its aqueduct system?

The dynamic model would also be relevant in a secondary school.