Longueuil starts dumping raw sewage into St. Lawrence River

Here's why the operation is being conducted, how long it'll last and it's expected environmental impact.

The Quebec city of Longueuil near Montreal started dumping raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River on Thursday, October 15th, 2018.

• Longueuil has started dumping raw sewage into the St. Lawrence [Montreal Gazette]

The city warned the public to avoid contact with water flowing between Îles-de-Boucherville and the mainland. That includes the stretch of bike path that runs along the shore on the mainland between the Lafontaine bridge-tunnel and Parc des Voiles.

Longueuil says there will be "very, very little (environmental) impact on a long-term basis because the river has a very high capacity of dilution."

In 2015, Montreal poured 5 billion litres of raw sewage into the river so it could repair a sewage collector.

• Meet Montreal's most famous sewer [Montreal Gazette]