A major water main burst flooded parts of downtown Montreal near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge on Friday morning, causing significant disruption to commuters during rush hour.

Notre-Dame Street has been closed from the intersection with Frontenac Street since about 6 a.m. The Montreal Fire Department described the burst water pipe as “really serious.”

Severe flooding occurred near the intersection of Ste-Catherine Street and de Lorimier Avenue and on René-Lévesque Boulevard.

The city therefore recommends that citizens do not drink tap water for the time being.

When the accumulation reached its peak, water could be seen flowing from the road into the St. Lawrence River.

The water level has now dropped significantly, but the situation is not yet fully resolved, says Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

She is asking everyone to avoid the area for the rest of the day.

“It was an impressive sight this morning, this huge geyser,” she said during a news conference Friday morning. “It’s really hard on the citizens, both mentally and physically,” she said, who have just had to deal with flooding from torrential rains.

The town hall of Ville-Marie will be open on Friday to those affected by the burst water pipe.

Quebec Premier François Legault wrote on X that his “thoughts are with the residents of the area and the city employees who are trying to solve the problem.”

Thousands without power, bus routes affected

At the request of emergency services, Hydro-Québec had cut off power in the region as a precautionary measure, leaving at least 12,515 customers without electricity since Friday morning.

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) said that several lines were affected, namely buses 10, 15, 45, 150, 410 and 430.

The Papineau metro station remains operational and precautionary measures such as the placement of sandbags have been taken.

Montreal Fire Chief Martin Guilbault said evacuations of surrounding buildings are underway to ensure everyone is safe. Firefighters are also making sure no live wires are caught in the water on the street as they work to dry it out.

Those who cannot stay at home are cared for by the Red Cross.

“Take care of yourselves, do not cross the water, respect the barriers for now and let us do our job. We will pump out your homes as quickly as possible,” Guilbault said.

He says it is too early to determine the cause of the rupture. The two-meter-long drinking water pipe that broke was installed in 1985, Chantal Morissette, director of the water service, said at a news conference.

Eugene Shaeelmikov lives in the area and was getting pastries for breakfast when he saw the chaos on the street. He told CBC he believes his house is “completely flooded by now” because his garage and apartment are underground.

“At least it’s entertaining,” he said. “I’m sure my neighbors will be excited when they find out what’s going on.”

He is documenting the flood to ensure he and his neighbors can file their insurance claims.

Just last month, another water main broke near the MUHC.