originally posted on August 13, 2016

A water main break in Montreal’s Saint-Henri neighbourhood has led to a boil water advisory for residents in the area.

According to Martin Farmer, an operations chief for the Montreal Fire Department, a 76-centimetre water main under St. Antoine Street was damaged by a private contractor working in the area.

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Firefighters received a call around 11 a.m. and arrived on the scene to see water gushing as high as nine metres in the air.

Residents of buildings between Rose de Lima Street and Atwater Avenue, as well as between St. Jacques and St. Antoine streets were evacuated as a precaution but were slowly let back in to their homes.

The sidewalk and road on Brewster Avenue sustained serious damage.

Hundreds of customers were without power over the course of the afternoon. As of 11 p.m., Hydro-Québec was reporting 55 customers on Brewster were still without power.

Saint-Henri residents said the flooding was significant.

“It looks like you’re on the beach with water lapping at the sidewalk,” said Rebecca Robinson, who lives on St. Jacques Street.

“Someone’s trying to block the entrance to their basement so it doesn’t flood. I don’t know if it’s going to do any good.”