The sudden rupture caused extensive flooding in the area, leaving 150,000 homes under a boil-water advisory and damaging dozens of buildings.
The city moved swiftly to reopen streets on Saturday, with extra garbage pickups scheduled to handle debris from the flooded areas. Around 50 homes and 20 businesses were affected after the water main burst, shooting water several meters into the air and creating what many witnesses described as a "wall of water."
The broken water main, installed in 1985, was expected to last a century. However, the pipe ruptured only 40 years into its lifespan, prompting questions about what caused the failure.
While officials are still investigating, one theory is that road salt exposure led to corrosion, weakening the pipe.
The water main break also triggered power outages, leaving about 14,000 Hydro-Quebec customers in the dark on Friday. Fortunately, power was restored to most of the affected area by Saturday afternoon, with only 300 customers still waiting for electricity.
