"We can no longer accept this": Citizens of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac exasperated by their brown drinking water

Residents of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac are exasperated that the water coming out of their taps has been brown for several years.

• Also read: “It brings back a lot of bad memories”: difficult information session for the victims of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac

A citizen, Tommy Mourdoukoutas, is calling on the city to take action to resolve this situation. He moved to the Laurentides municipality a few years ago and initially believed he was the only one facing this problem.

Speaking with neighbors on social media, he realized the situation was widespread. The man struggles to understand why taxpayers cannot access good quality water.

Screenshot of TVA News

"We've been taking the laundry for about a year, bringing it back to my parents' house. We're trying to live with it, but for the past three months, we've reached a point where we can't accept it anymore. How long are we going to tolerate this business with the City and the yellow water in Sainte-Marc-sur-le-Lac? We should do something. I have children to bathe, I have clothes to wash," Mr. Mourdoukoutas said in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.

Screenshot of TVA News

According to the municipality of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, one of the reasons for the discolored water problem is the high demand for water by residents. The city is therefore asking residents to limit their water consumption.

"We can no longer hear excuses [like] it's because of the pools and it's because of the city's consumption at the same time. As a parent, I have to find a solution. We have to do something, enough is enough," says Tommy Mourdoukoutas.

Screenshot of TVA News

No boil water advisory is in effect in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac and the water remains drinkable.

The municipality indicated on its social networks that investments of several million dollars are required to modernize its facilities in order to better filter the water.

Now, how long will this problem last?

The municipality mentioned on social media that investments of several million dollars are necessary to modernize the water filtration facilities, but it is also said that some devices are not sufficiently efficient at this time of year.

To see the full explanation, watch the video above.

- With information from Étienne Malouin