The Municipality operates six drinking water networks serving approximately one thousand four hundred individuals throughout the territory. The Municipality applies a user-payer policy for taxation purposes regarding this service.
Control and maintenance of these networks is the responsibility of the Public Works Department. According to provincial regulation on drinking water standards, the personnel is trained by and has been granted authority to act by the Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks Ministry.
The Public Works Department is responsible for monitoring the quality of our drinking water. Each year, more than 125 000 tests are done, covering 350 differents parameters to guarantee a healthy and clear drinking water supply for all network users. These controls cover a wide array of parameters supplying us with information on the physical, mineral, organic, microbiological and radiological nature of the water. The results are then analysed to ensure the quality of our water is maintained as it passes through the distribution network to reach homes and businesses on the territory.
Please note that all samples taken are analysed by an independant laboratory certified by the Sustainable Developpement, the Environment and Parks Ministry.
If a test fails, a boiling notice is promptly posted on the web site, an Emergency notification will appear, and a public notice will be posted at strategic points in the Municipality (Town Hall, Post office, churches). Further, the organisations as well as the businesses affected are directly informed by phone.
By-law regarding use of treated water
Upcoming (By-law 649-2022)
Québec’s Water: a resource to be protected
The Québec Water Policy was released in 2002.
Since then, the regulations have become stricter in many aspects and the Government has given Municipalities the mandate to enforce the law.
Consult the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks’ website for valuable information regarding water.
Gestures which make a difference
Fire-hydrant verification and flushing conduits
Regularly, the Public Works Department cleans and purges fire-hydrants and mains. This operation allows them to clean pipes and maintain tasteless and colorless water.
Further, each summer, the Municipality checks fire-hydrants.
Our seasonal verification program has been put in place to ensure that fire-hydrants are in good working order should the Fire Department need to use them.
To empty a pipe or determine if a fire-hydrant supplies the required debit needed to fight a fire, the verification team must open the valve and let the water out at a very high debit.
This routine maintenance procedure can be the cause of temporary minor inconvenients. It might shake sediments which may rest in the pipes, often resulting in a brownish or reddish color. The verification can also have for effect to reduce water pressure from the taps, but this should only occur during the purge and get back to normal when it is completed.
What to do?
The village network is supplied by tubular deep wells since May 2008. The network itself, which was built fifty years ago, requires maintenance work and that is why a program to improve and search for leaks was set up in the late 1990.
Other than fixing leaks on the network, in 2001, we looped around new conduits under Route 364 and the Watchorn sector was renovated. In 2005, the Municipality replaced 1,4 km of pipes under Route 329 West of the village core and in 2007, in the Lac-Echo Road area.
These costly repairs were financed by several Provincial and Federal infrastructure grant programs.
Other projects are in the planning stages or are completed as moneys become available.
Peripheral networks
The peripheral networks, per sector, are supplied by artesian wells and underwent work through an upgrade program in order to bring them up to standards to meet the new provincial government norms on drinking water supply.
These networks, built in the 1970 are essentially designed to distribute drinking water and are not designed to supply water for fire protection.
New Water Intakes
At the time of a construction permit being requested, The Town Planning Department will inform the citizen, should this happen, on the steps to take and related costs for a new hook-up.
Water Intakes Repair
Citizens requiring a water supply interruption to complete work at their residence or business need to inform Public Works at least 24 hours in advance. Please make sure the work will be done during regular business hours, otherwise additional costs may be invoiced.
Emergency interruption
Should you face an emergency situation and need a water supply interruption after hours, please dial 9-1-1.
Information on water consumption
The Environment Department oversees the Water Conservation Program from Réseau-environnement, which promotes sensible ways to conserve water and provides other related information. Here are some statistics on water use:
The Town Hall is opened from
Monday to Thursday
8:30 to 12:00 and from
12:45 to 16:30, and Friday
from 8:30 to 12:00
567, chemin du Village
Morin-Heights (Québec)
J0R 1H0
Telephone : 450 226-3232
Fax : 450 226-8786
municipalite@morinheights.com