Boil water and drinking water avoidance advisories – Everything you need to know
You are invited to consult the Important notices, alerts and emergencies section to find out if a boil water advisory or a drinking water avoidance advisory is currently in effect.
If not, the annual fire hydrant check may be underway in your area.
To receive urgent information, including current boil water advisories, sign up for the notification system.
There are three types of advisories: preventive and regulatory boil water advisories, and drinking water avoidance advisories.
A preventive boil water advisory is released as soon as there is a pressure drop in the system. This can occur as a result of:
Gatineau will not take any chances in those cases, and asks everyone to boil their drinking water as a preventive measure before consuming it, until the test results are out, which generally takes 48 hours.
If the tests are negative, the boil water advisory is lifted.
If the tests are positive, Gatineau issues a regulatory advisory.
A regulatory boil water advisory is issued when tests indicate the presence of bacteria. Affected homes, businesses and establishments must then boil their drinking water until an advisory is issued indicating that the situation is back to normal.
A drinking water avoidance advisory is issued when the drinking water may be contaminated by chemicals that pose a health risk. This preventive measure prohibits the drinking water's consumption because the contaminant in question cannot be eliminated by boiling.
A drinking water avoidance advisory may also be issued when there is a marked or unexpected change in the colour, smell or taste of the drinking water and the source cannot be determined.
When an advisory is issued, even if the water is clear, odourless and tasteless, it may still be contaminated and pose a health risk. Thus, it is important to follow the advisory issued by either municipal or non-municipal water system authorities.
When fewer than 100 homes are affected by an advisory, door hangers are distributed door to door. The same method is used once the advisory is lifted.
When more than 100 homes are affected, Gatineau:
Gatineau does everything it can to inform you, but to do so, it needs access to your phone number or e-mail address. If you have an unlisted phone number, Gatineau will not be able to call you. It is up to you to provide us with this information
There are a number of ways you can receive advisories:
You should follow the instructions below until the advisory is lifted.
| Uses | Boil water advisory | Drinking water avoidance advisory |
|---|---|---|
Immediate consumption
|
Boil tap water on high heat for at least one minute or use bottled water.Discard ice (be sure to remember the reservoirs in refrigerators), drinks and food prepared using tap water that was not boiled. | Do not consume tap water in the affected perimeter. Boiling the water is useless in these cases. Use bottled water.Discard ice (be sure to remember the reservoirs in refrigerators), drinks and food prepared using tap water. |
Consumption with cooking
|
You can use the water straight from the tap. | Do not consume tap water in the affected perimeter. Boiling the water is useless in these cases. Use bottled water. |
| Brushing teeth and rinsing your mouth | Boil tap water on high heat for at least one minute or use bottled water. | Do not consume tap water in the affected perimeter. Boiling the water is useless in these cases. Use bottled water. |
| Washing dishes (by hand or in the dishwasher) | You can use the water straight from the tap to:
|
Do not use tap water to wash dishes either by hand or in the dishwasher. Use bottled water. |
| Taking a shower or a bath | You can use the water straight from the tap. Make sure that young children do not drink the water or wash them with a face cloth. | Do not use tap water to shower or bathe. |
| Washing clothes | You can use the water straight from the tap. | Do not use tap water to wash clothes. Wait until the advisory is lifted or use a laundromat that is not affected by the advisory. |
| Boil water advisory | Drinking water avoidance advisory |
|---|---|
| Open the cold water taps and let the water run for one minute or until it gets cold before using it. Follow the same procedure for water fountains. Discard ice (be sure to remember the reservoirs in refrigerators), drinks and food prepared using tap water that was not boiled. |
Open the hot and cold water tapsin the bathtub or shower and let the water run for 60 minutes. Then open all your taps and let the water run for five minutes. It is recommended that you replace any filters in water filtration systems (e.g. Brita). If you detect an unusual odour, let the water run longer to empty the reservoirs. Discard ice (be sure to remember the reservoirs in refrigerators), drinks and food prepared using tap water during the advisory. |
Use the notification system to receive urgent information – that is of direct interest to you – from Ville de Gatineau, wherever you are, for free*.
When you sign up for the notification system, you can select:
Learn more about the notification system
* Although text message (SMS) notifications are provided for free by Ville de Gatineau, your telecommunications service provider may charge a fee.
Recognized for its quality of life, Gatineau is a city of 292,000 inhabitants. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, and extends east and west of the Gatineau River.