Watering ban issued for parts of Montreal’s West Island

A person washes an apple with tap water. (Miriam Alonso/pexels.com)

People living in certain areas of Montreal’s West Island are being asked to reduce their water usage during the hot weather.

The cities, towns and boroughs affected by the advisory include Dollard-des-Ormeaux (DDO), Île Bizard, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville.

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This comes as the City of Montreal says it is seeing historically low levels in the Rivière des Prairies, thus taking longer for the Pierrefonds drinking water treatment plant to filter potable water to these areas.

“The drinking water treatment chain is in exceptionally high demand,” the city notes. “However, the water produced continues to meet the highest quality standards.”

Officials note that the cost of treating the water has also risen.

For now, the city says it has paused its ozonation system, which neutralizes the taste of the water, to speed up the treatment process.

This could result in the water tasting different, though officials say it is still safe to ingest.

See a list of permitted and prohibited activities during a watering ban, according to the City of Montreal:

Residents can resume using water as per usual when the ban is lifted.