Why create a water strategy? 

Water is a collective and vital resource. It is the concern of all Montrealers! Water management is complex and closely related to public health and safety. Managing water properly is of the utmost importance for the city and future generations, and is one of the city’s most important activities. 

To ensure optimal and sustainable management of this essential resource, the city has a clear plan and guidelines that comprise the 2025-2034 Montréal Water Strategy. It aims to recognize and value water as an essential common asset that requires collaborative and inclusive management. 

To learn more about the plan’s main orientations and commitments, you can read this summary of its highlights Summary document of the highlights

Water management and the future 

Managing water is a long term matter. Initiatives and projects developed in recent years, along with the decisions we make today, will have an impact on the coming decade. As well, 5 major changes have influenced strategic thinking about water: 

1. Climate change
2. Urban development
3. Water quality
4. The value of water
5. Technological advances 

5 orientations to guide action priorities 

The Montreal Water Strategy contains five major strategic orientations that will guide the choice of priorities for water management. 

1. Reduce wastage of drinking water to promote responsible use 

Montreal is committed to taking concrete steps to reduce drinking water losses in the public and private sectors by limiting the use of drinking water to what is necessary and restricting excessive use. This ensures that the city can support sustainable urban development, preserve the capacity to meet future needs and limit additional investments.to reduce drinking water losses in the public and private sectors by limiting the use of drinking water to what is necessary and restricting excessive use. This ensures that the city can support sustainable urban development, preserve the capacity to meet future needs and limit additional investments. . 

2. Ensure access to a safe supply of quality drinking water 

Supplying enough quality drinking water for every household’s needs is a priority. This includes minimizing service interruptions related to breakages and quality advisories and maintaining drinking water production, storage and distribution infrastructure. This includes minimizing service interruptions related to breakages and quality advisories and maintaining drinking water production, storage and distribution infrastructure. 

3. Reduce the impacts of rainfall on the community and the environment 

By the end of the century, the risk of flooding caused by heavy rainfall will be multiplied by 7. Since we cannot control the rainfall or the sudden rise in floods and we cannot store all this water underground, we must accept surface water accumulations and take action to reduce the impacts on the community. The actions taken by the city are aimed at modifying surface development and the built environment to protect them from runoff. 

4. Reduce the quantity and variety of contaminants from wastewater and stormwater 

Action must be taken to ensure that the quality of water returned to waterways is as close as possible to the quality of the water upstream. We aim to limit pollutants at source, maintain collection and treatment equipment, optimize existing treatment processes and add new processes to comply with new regulations. 

5. Achieve a sustainable and equitable balance to fund water management needs 

Over the next 10 years, Montreal will move towards risk management based on in-depth knowledge of the condition of its assets, the implementation of structured preventive maintenance programs and the use of artificial intelligence to predict equipment wear and tear, extend its useful life and optimize investments. 

A consultation-based approach 

A valuable amount of information and data was collected as part of the public consultation on the future of Montréal’s water (in French). This consultation, titled “The Future of Montreal’s Water,” was conducted by the Commission sur l’eau, l’environnement, le développement durable et les grands parcs in 2023. The observations, findings and recommendations of the consultation were then published in 2024. The approach helped guide Montreal’s water strategy. 

Documentation

Summary (June 4) 

2025-2034 Montréal Water Strategy (June 19)