Montreal water services defends lead pipe awareness campaign

The head of Montreal's water services is standing by the city's controversial awareness campaign aboutlead pipes following backlash from landlords and residents.

ChantalMorissettedefended the campaignand saysits safety recommendations came from Montreal's public health authorities.

"I think the city's campaign is good since it is aiming at informing people,"Morissettesaid.

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Last week, the city issuednoticesin the mail to 360,000Montrealers, informingowners and residentsof buildings constructed prior to 1970 that their plumbing could be made of lead and should be changed to avoid negative health effects, particularly for pregnant women and young children under the age ofsix.

The pamphlets alsoofferadvice on water-qualitytestingandon how to limitthe harm caused by the toxic metal.

Up to 128,000 residences across Montreal could be affected, but Morissettebelieves residents will be okay so long as they follow the advice on the pamphlet.

"It's not a huge health issue in Montreal," Morissette said. "We know where the concentrations are the highest."

'It's ridiculous'

For PlateauMont-Royal resident Erick Provost, the pamphlet and the city's response are inadequate.

His wife is six months pregnant and he is worried that leadmight harm his unborn child.

Provost saidhe called Public Works four times to find out whether his building's service line contains lead, but didn't get an answer. He would like to see the city acting more responsibly.

"It'sridiculous. It's unfair that this is the city's reaction to something that's so important to people and can affect people so profoundly."

• Thousands ofMontrealerswarned about lead pipes in homes

When he called the 311info line to learn more about the risks associated with lead,he says hewastold to re-read the notice.

"The city has no idea what to answer you," Provost said."311 has effectively the same information as the pamphlet does."