Montreal mayor heads underground to inspect repairs as raw sewage spews in St. Lawrence
by The Canadian Press
City expected to reveal first water quality tests over weekend
MONTREAL—Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is heading below ground to inspect sewer repair work that has made it necessary to discharge of eight billion litres of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River.
Coderre is heading down to get a closer look at today as city crews are into their second day of work.
Sewers started diverting raw sewage on Wednesday morning away from the aging interceptor and directly into the river.
Coderre said the discharge will last one week as city workers conduct significant underground infrastructure repairs and relocate a snow chute below an expressway.
Scientists concluded as long as the discharge occurred before the winter months the long-term effects on water quality and animal life in the river will be limited.
The first water quality tests are expected in the next 48 hours.
