Water Network

Types of Advisories

There are two types of advisories: preventive and regulatory.

Preventive boil-water advisories are issued as soon as there is a pressure drop in the system. This can occur for various reasons, including:

• planned maintenance work;
• an unexpected development, such as a water main rupture or power failure.

When this happens, residents are asked to boil water before consuming it until laboratory testing confirms the quality of the drinking water; this usually takes about 48 hours (see sampling procedures).

If the test results are negative, the boil-water advisory will be lifted and citizens may trust the quality of the water for drinking.

Regulatory boil-water advisories, although rare, are issued when regular testing indicates the presence of bacteria. Residents in the affected areas must then boil their water until they receive notice that the situation is back to normal.

Sampling Procedure

• Water samples are gathered as quickly as possible in all affected areas and sent to a certified laboratory for testing;
• A 24-hour incubation time is required to complete the tests;
• If the results are positive, the boil-water advisory will remain in effect and more samples are collected and sent for analysis. This process is repeated until results are negative.
• If the results are negative, a notice is sent to residents in the affected area lifting the boil-water advisory.

Notifying Residents

When fewer than one hundred residences are affected, City employees will deliver door hanger cards door-to-door. A second notice is delivered the same way to announce the end of the advisory period. Residents are also encourage to create their account and sign up to notices from the City via the Citizen Portal

For more information, visit the Questions and Answers Regarding Boil-Water Advisories page (in French only) on the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatique website.

In order to carry out work on the water main network, the distribution of drinking water may be interrupted for a short period in your area.

As a preventive measure, following work on the water main, the City of Westmount asks the public to boil the tap water for at least one minute before consuming it or to use bottled water.

If you experience coloured water, it is recommended to run the tap water for at least five (5) minutes from a bathtub or a washbasin to remove any possible sediment.

As soon as the boil-water advisory is lifted you will receive a similar notice. We regret any inconvenience caused by this preventive measure

In order to carry out work on the water main network, the distribution of drinking water may be interrupted for a short period in your area.

As a preventive measure, following work on the water main, the City of Westmount asks the public to boil the tap water for at least one minute before consuming it or to use bottled water. 

Use only boiled water or bottled water for:

• drinking
• brushing teeth
• making ice cubes
• preparing food
• washing dishes by hand

You may use water that has not been boiled for:

• using the dishwasher (make sure they are properly dried)
• doing laundry
• taking a shower or a bath (children should be supervised to make sure they do not swallow water during bathtime)

If you experience discoloured water, it is recommended to run the tap for at least five (5) minutes from a bathtub or a washbasin to remove any possible sediment.

As soon as the boil-water advisory is lifted, you will receive a similar notice. We regret any inconvenience caused by this preventive measure.

Following the Preventive Boil Advisory notice, the City of Westmount announces the end of the boil advisory period.

Tests carried out in conformity with Québec Environment Ministry standards indicate that the water in your sector is safe to use for drinking and all other purposes. We recommend that you take the following precautions :

• run the water from all faucets and drinking faucets and drinking fountains for at least one minute ;
• flush hoses and run outdoor taps by flushing or running them for at least one minute.

We regret any inconvenience caused by this preventive measure and thank you for your cooperation during this period.