The City of Gatineau says it has resumed production of drinking water after an oil spill from an unknown origin was detected in the Ottawa River on Tuesday. In a news release in French, the city says the provincial environment ministry (MELCCFP) detected the spill and temporarily stopped the production of drinking water at its Gatineau plant as a precaution. During the shutdown, the city says it supplied a portion of the Gatineau sector’s drinking water from its production plant in Hull. “After analysis by municipal teams and discussion with the MELCCFP, it was confirmed that the Gatineau plant could safely restart its water production. Therefore, no boil water advisory is necessary,” the City of Gatineau’s statement says. The City of Ottawa tells CTV News the spill was contained to the Gatineau side and did not impact Ottawa’s drinking water operations. Some residents of Gatineau may observe a “yellowish discolouration” of the water on Wednesday in the Gatineau and Hull sectors due to the transfer of water from the two stations. “It is important to note that the water remains drinkable,” the City of Gatineau says. If residents notice discoloured water, they should turn on all the cold water taps in the house and let the water run until it becomes clear again and should not turn on the hot water to avoid clouding the water in the water heater. The city also says to avoid doing laundry as long as the water is coloured. An investigation into the source of the spill is underway.
