Water main break near downtown floods streets, prompts boil water advisory

City crews are working to stop water from flooding streets in the Ville-Marie borough, as a water main break is causing headaches for people trying to make their way through the area.

The water main is located near the corner of De Lorimier Avenue and Ontario Street.

Drivers are being asked to avoid the area, and a detour has been set up for those coming into the city from the South Shore by the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Traffic is being redirected south along De Lorimier, toward Notre-Dame Street.

Following the water main break, the City of Montreal also issued a boil water advisory for part of the Ville-Marie borough Friday.

Residents are asked to boil their tap water for at least one minute before consuming it or using it to brush their teeth.

The advisory is in place until further notice. The city says it will issue another notice once the water is safe to drink again.

For more details on which exact streets are affected by the boil water advisory, the city is asking residents to consult this map.

It's not clear how long it will take for the water main break to be resolved.

"The first thing we want to do is to lower … the pressure on the water main, then we will see exactly what's the cause and we will fix the situation." said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the city. "We will have to fix the aqueduct, but also the asphalt."

In a tweet, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the water main in question is nearly 140 years old.

So far, there are no reports of property damage or flooded basements.