Montrealers told to boil water after tests show it’s unsafe to drink

More than a million Montrealers are being advised to boil their drinking water after tests at a filtration plant indicated it wasn't safe to consume.

CTV News reported 1.3 million residents of Canada's second-largest city were told to boil water for at least a minute before drinking it or using it for cooking, washing food or brushing teeth.

Water can be used unboiled for things like washing clothes or bathing, the city said in its advisory.

The warning was issued Wednesday morning after tests at the Atwater filtration plant revealed the water was below acceptable standards for human consumption.

[ Related: Saint John neighbourhood hit with boil-water order ]

The advisory, which affects almost the whole city, is precautionary and will last for at least 24 hours, Montreal Fire Department Division Chief Gordon Routley told CTV News.

“We don’t think there’s any bacterial contamination in the water,” he said. “What was noticed was turbidity -- discolourization and particulate matter in the water. Just to be sure, the boil water advisory has been put in place,”

The Atwater plant, one of the largest water-treatment facilities in Canada, is in its fourth year of extensive maintenance work, CTV News said. Water levels in the plant had been lowered, revealing the potential contamination.

CBC News said there were several reports of brownish water coming from taps across Montreal. Residents have been advised to run their taps until the water flows clear.

Boil-water advisories aren't uncommon in Canada, though rarely on such a large scale. They're often issued for small communities that don't have extensive water-treatment facilities.

The web site water.ca tracks boil-water advisories across the country and generates a regularly updated Google map. British Columbia, for instance, currently has the largest number, at 375, followed by Saskatchewan with 240, then Newfoundland and Labrador with 169.

[ Related: Parts of Saskatoon still boiling water after water main break ]

First Nations communities face the worst problem, with some boil-water advisories lasting a decade or more, according to a Global News story last year.

The federal government, which is responsible for aboriginal communities, has been criticized for the slow pace of upgrading First Nations' water systems to standards most Canadians take for granted.

Global News reported Ottawa will have spent about $2.5 billion on water and wastewater systems on reserves between 2006 and 2013 but said in a report that it could cost another $1.15 billion to meet federal and provincial guidelines.