CHRIS LOWREY
QUYON Jan. 11, 2019
A broken water main in Quyon has forced residents to boil their water before consuming it.
The Municipality of Pontiac said a boil water advisory will be necessary for “An indeterminate amount of time” on its social media page.
The break in the water main occurred in the early morning hours of Jan. 11 on a vacant property, as the structure had been previously demolished.
Municipality of Pontiac Mayor Joanne Labadie said the leak was caused by cold weather and speculated that a fire in the area earlier in the week could have also had an impact.

The break was discovered early on by the municipality’s public works team, who then went door to door to inform residents of the situation.
The leak is now repaired, but the ministry of the environment requires several clean water tests in a row in order to confidently lift the boil water advisory.
“Because the water is stagnant in the pipes you want to ensure that when it gets back up and running no bacteria has developed or formed in the system,” Labadie said.
She also said that the municipality plans on using provincial grant money to install a series of valves throughout the water system in the municipality.
Labadie said the new system will allow the municipality to isolate the affected area, preventing a boil water advisory for the whole sector.