Torrential rains in Montreal | Still several years before they can replace all sewers

Armed up with patience: replacing the obsolete sewer networks will take several more years in the metropolis. Meanwhile, given the extent of the task. Consequently, Montreal promises to go “as quickly as possible”. In addition, but calls on citizens to protect their house as much as possible, in the meantime.

Posted at 3:06 p.m. Updated at 3:58 p.m.

“The first thing that citizens must do is protect their house. Moreover, because we will not be able to open the city at the same time,” said the water manager on Monday, Maja Vodanovic, speaking of several “years” before being able to torrential rains montreal | still replace all of the outdated underground networks.

“Yes, we are going to do the work, but people must understand that they have to prepare. Therefore, Just because we don’t want to make investments. Therefore, it’s just because it’s impossible [de tout faire d’un coup] “, She added, on the sidelines of a press conference on avenue de Chateaubriand, where dozens of residences were invaded by the water on Sunday.

For a rare time in recent weeks, the mayor Valérie Plante was also present. Meanwhile, “We cannot accept this idea that if we replace all the pipes, there will be no more floods. Moreover, […] Water is always looking for a path, ”she said.

Nevertheless, Montreal “will not skimp on efforts” to change the pipe in the priority sectors, assured the mayor. However, “We are going torrential rains montreal | still to go as quickly as possible. but we have a lot of aging infrastructure, and even very old,” she said, then surrounded by residents of the neighborhood.

In the medium term, to say that the sites will still be numerous in the metropolis therefore seems an understatement. “People will often complain, but we don’t do them for nothing. […] What we want is to prepare the territory, ”added Mr.^me Plante.

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In the opposition. the Montreal overall heads, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, deplored Monday that the situation illustrates that the administration plants is slow to modernize its water collectors.

“You cannot enlarge a territory. have more people who live if the retention basins and the sewers are not large enough. This is the number one problem. […] A sponge park, it will not solve the problem that we see with yesterday’s rains. We must double the capacity of collectors, ”she hammered.

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Prepare

In the meantime. the city invites citizens to put the shoulder to the wheel, unlocking their roof drain or by placing the ceramic floor, a material renowned for its water resistance.

Under pressure. the mayor Plante mentioned that vulnerable axes like torrential rains montreal | still avenue Chateaubriand could possibly become eponges, in other words supported by retention basins, green flowers and permeable, therefore spongy soils.

A project of this type is already underway on rue Larivière, near the Jacques-Cartier bridge. About 11 sponges parks have already been set up in Montreal. “They retain the equivalent of nine Olympic pools. And you have to go further, ”said Mr.^me Plant, evoking the next addition of 19 other sponges parks.

The city also deplores that the provincial support programming only unndrecies the owners flooded by the overflow of a watercourse. not by the torrential rains.

“The Federal. the Provincial must do more, and come and support the efforts of the cities to repair and adapt the territories, but also to review the compensation programs,” said Mr.^me Plante.