Saint-Henri residents seek answers as yellow water flows out of their taps

Some residents in a Montreal borough are trying to determine why yellow water is flowing out of their taps -- but to no avail, they say.

The taps of at least three triplexes on Saint-Henri's Saint-Antoine Street have been affected for two weeks.

Resident Andre Duchesne said he and his neighbours reached out to the city for help but have not received any guidance.

"They say they're going to look into it, and we didn't get an answer," he told CTV News.

Yellow water can be an indication of several things, from sediment to rust.

But without a clear answer on whether or not the water is safe to drink, he's sticking to the bottled stuff.

Duchesne said he's been through four cases in two weeks.

A few doors down, Sergio Crespo has the same issue and the same questions.

"We don't know if it's healthy or not, so we got a filter for the water," he said.

Despite his best efforts, though, the water is still murky.

Crespo says he's against plastic waste and didn't want to resort to buying water bottles. But with no guidance from the city, he says he doesn't know what else to do.

"We are paying taxes to have access to potable water at home, so what's the point of that?" he said. "We should still have the service because Quebec is famous for having excellent water."

The City of Montreal said the yellow hue results from aqueduct work in the area.

"A 30-inch water main on St. Antoine St. was shut down on August 26, 2021 and reopened last Thursday, August 11," the city said. "A valve manipulation on the secondary network caused a staining of the water. We are currently flushing the problematic section of the six addresses mentioned, which should resolve the problem."

The city said it is asking the laboratory to contact concerned citizens if the water is still coloured, and they will send a technician to analyze the water.