Montreal is leaking: 500 million litres of water wasted!
June 18th 2015
Nearly 500 million litres: this is the phenomenal quantity of drinking water distributed by Montreal that is lost every day in leaks. The equivalent of 200 Olympic swimming pools, wasted . Despite its significant investments in the rehabilitation of the water distribution system, the City is on track to largely miss the water loss reduction target imposed by Québec in 2011.
30%
The city's distribution network lost 30% of its water in 2014, according to the city in its annual drinking water consumption report, published yesterday. This is the same proportion as in 2013 and only slightly better than in recent years. However, the City has only two years left to reduce its waste rate to 20% in order to meet the requirements of the provincial government's water reduction strategy.
The Coderre administration believes it will be able to control the bleeding through the installation of pressure regulators in the systems and the deployment of a team to detect leaks. "We continue to work to achieve this target," says Chantal Rouleau, head of water services at the City of Montreal's Executive Committee. Thanks to the pressure regulation system, there is already a significant improvement in breakage and leakage. A great deal of effort is being made to achieve this. It's a very deficient network, there was no maintenance." Three boroughs in the City are already participating in the pilot project to regulate drinking water pressure. Seven other boroughs are expected to join by the end of the year," says Rouleau.
DECREASING CONSUMPTION
Montrealers are reducing their consumption of drinking water year after year. Last year, each resident consumed 873 litres compare to 903 litres in 2013. "We exceeded the provincial target for the 2014 balance sheet. We have achieved a 22% reduction in consumption[since 2001] thanks to our investments and awareness," says Chantal Rouleau, delighted since the target was set for 2017. However, the elected representative encourages the population not to consume excessive amounts of drinking water. "It is a resource that belongs to everyone and should not be wasted. Everyone must take responsibility," she adds.
WASTE CHAMPIONS
Montrealers remain Quebec's champions in the waste of blue gold despite the significant improvement in the balance sheet over the past 15 years. In comparison, the average Quebecker consumed 706 litres of water per day, according to 2009 figures, while our Ontario neighbours consumed only 409 litres per day. However, the concentration of industries and businesses in Montreal inflates these figures since residential consumption represents only 40% of total drinking water consumption.
57 KILOMETERS
The City spared no effort last year to update its obsolete water distribution system with investments of $200 million. This has resulted in the renewal of 57 kilometres of drinking water pipes, a peak in nine years. Despite this increase in the pace of work, this represents only 1.3% of the city's network. But the Coderre administration plans to accelerate the pace. "We have a $1.1 billion investment plan by 2017 for water and sewer systems." However, the number of breakages remains stable at nearly a thousand per year, including about 50 on main pipes.
WATER METERS
While Montreal was still healing its wounds years after the water meter scandal, these devices were making a strong comeback in the city's businesses and industries. There are nearly 5000 of them, twice as many as in 2013. The City plans to install four times more meters by 2018 in the hope of significantly reducing water consumption in non-residential areas. But "no way" of installing them among Montrealers, guarantees Chantal Rouleau, head of water services at the City's executive committee.
Translate from Louis-Samuel Perron, published in La Presse, June 18, 2015