Boil water advisory issued following Saint-Henri water main break

A water main break in Montreal's Saint-Henri neighbourhood has led to a boil water advisory for residents in the area.

According to Martin Farmer, anoperations chief for the Montreal Fire Department,a 76-centimetrewater main underSt. Antoine Street was damaged by a private contractor working in the area.

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Firefighters received a call around 11 a.m. and arrived on the scene to see water gushing as high as nine metres in the air.

Residents of buildings between Rose de Lima Street and Atwater Avenue,as well as betweenSt. Jacques and St. Antoine streetswere evacuated as a precaution but were slowly let back in to their homes.

The sidewalk and road on Brewster Avenuesustained serious damage.

Hundreds of customers were without power over the course of the afternoon. As of 11 p.m.,Hydro-Qubecwasreporting55 customers on Brewster werestill without power.

Saint-Henriresidents said the flooding wassignificant.

"It looks like you're on the beach with water lapping at the sidewalk," saidRebecca Robinson, wholives on St. Jacques Street.

"Someone's trying to block the entrance to their basement so it doesn't flood. I don't know if it's going to do any good."