Canal de l'Aqueduc
The Canal de l'Aqueduc is a central part of Montreal's water supply . This is an eight-kilometer-long canal that is partially designed as an aqueduct .
Near the Lachine Rapids , on the southern tip of the Île de Montréal , the canal draws its water from the Saint Lawrence River . It runs through the arrondissement of La Salle and forms the border between the arrondissements of Verdun and Le Sud-Ouest . Eventually it ends at the Atwater waterworks underground reservoir , where the water is treated.
The private water supply company Compagnie des propriétaires des eaux de Montréal , founded in 1801, passed into municipal ownership in 1845. At that time the water supply was in poor condition: pipes were often broken and the water quality was often inadequate. A devastating fire in 1852 destroyed several hundred buildings and a large part of the pipeline network. In 1853, a commission led by City Councilor Edwin Atwater commissioned engineer Thomas Keefer to build the canal. Construction work lasted until 1856.
In 1870 and 1905 the canal was widened to keep up with growing demand. The existing pumping station was replaced from 1912 to 1918 by the waterworks Atwater, the first time a filtration allowed the water. In 1913 the canal was widened again and its starting point moved a little further up the river. The canal is fenced in and therefore not accessible, but a cycle path has been running along the south bank since 1990 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Canal de l'Aqueduc. Commission de toponymie du Québec, accessed October 5, 2011 (French).
- ↑ a b Secteur du canal de l'aqueduc. In: Grand répertoire du patrimoine bâti du Montréal. City of Montreal, accessed October 5, 2011 (French).
- ↑ Cyclable piste du canal de l'aqueduc. Guide des pistes cyclables du Québec, accessed October 5, 2011 (French).
Coordinates: 45 ° 26 ′ 10 ″ N , 73 ° 36 ′ 0 ″ W.