Risks

Heavy rain

Climate change is leading to increasingly intense rainfall episodes. Unusually large quantities of water can overload the city’s sewer system, causing overflows onto the street or property. Also, neighbourhoods where water accumulates more easily are more vulnerable. These are are known as flood-prone areas (see the vulnerability map (in French) )

Water main break, sewer backup or water infiltration 

A broken water main, a leak in a water main, and damaged or improperly installed equipment in your home or neighbourhood can also cause sewer backups or water infiltration.

River overflow 

Water levels in the St. Lawrence River, Rivière des Prairies, Lac Saint-Louis and Lac des Deux Montagnes and weather forecasts are monitored when ice blocks a waterway in the winter and when snow melts in the spring – the two riskiest periods of the year 

If an alert is triggered, the status of the situation and the measures taken on the ground are quickly communicated to residents in affected areas: Ahuntsic-Cartierville, L’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève, Montréal-Nord, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Pointe-Claire, Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville. 

Water level changes (in French) are posted in real time on the Ministère de l’Environnement et de Lutte contre les changements climatiques Web site.