Montreal workers deploy high-tech robot to Investigate water main break

City of Montreal workers went below ground on Thursday to check on water mains – focusing on the same section of pipe that burst on Aug. 16 and flooded streets in south-central Montreal.  

The crew used high-tech equipment, including a water main inspection robot.

"It's the same pipe. It's just different segments," said Maja Vodanovic, the executive committee member responsible for water. "So, we're inspecting the 2.6 kilometres of the pipe to where it broke.

Serge Paul, the section chief of the Montreal water service, explained that once the robot is lowered into the pipe, workers monitor for wire breaks as it navigates through.

"And we have real-time HD video. The signal travels through the wires, and if we have distortion in the signal, we know there is a break," he said.

The pipe received a grade "A" during its last inspection, raising further questions about its rapid degradation.

The City of Montreal is still investigating the cause of the massive water main break, a process that could take weeks as crews continue to work on-site above and below ground.

The city previously said that the water main in question was supposed to have a lifespan of at least another decade.

"We will see why it broke. We still don't know why it broke. It's a special segment that, out of all the kilometres, there were only two that were a little weak. They were supposed to last another 10-15 years, but it broke beforehand, Vodanovic said.

Vodanovic added that the city plans to award a $7 million contract to inspect 56-kilometre of pipes during the council meeting in September. However, there are 4,200 kilometres of water pipes across the island.