First-World City, Third-World Lapse

Montreal, arguably at least one of Canada's most populous cities, and for a first-world country, a recognizable name internationally for its cosmopolitan flavour, its distinct architecture, its pride in culture and language and heritage; not least the pluralistic society it has become, thanks to an open immigration policy, welcoming newcomers from across the world; French-speaking preferentially.
It is a wealthy, technologically advanced city by any standards.

However, its standards have temporarily, but irritatingly slipped in the provision of one of the most fundamental services that any city should be able to offer with complete confidence to its residents -- without interruption, and without concerns about purity as a result of possible contamination: potable water. Residents of that great metropolis were advised it would be best for their health were they to boil their tapwater for a minimum of one minute.

Alternatively, they could rush over to their nearest supermarket to purchase bottled water. When brushing teeth, use that bottled water. As long as one doesn't feel too queasy at the contamination sources which no one in authority had any real idea about -- but since the problem seems to have emanated with a water quality purification plant, that brown, muddy-looking liquid gushing out of taps when it should be reliably crystal-clear -- think waste-water, the green light given to washing dishes with it.

"To my knowledge it's the first time that we have in Montreal a boil-water advisory for so many people. Once we get the results, we will be able to maintain the advisory or take it down. The water (at the plant) dropped to a very low level. The sediments that were at the bottom ended up in the aqueducts."
Valerie De Gagne Montreal city spokesperson

The Atwater filtration plant is the second-largest in Canada. Unsurprisingly, given the size of the city, second in size of population only to Toronto.  Tests were being undertaken to determine whether the water, murky in appearance and rather malodorous, had become contaminated. The advisory concerned water being supplied not to the entire city, but to 1.3-million of its residents.

In response some of the city's boroughs had begun purging their fire hydrants hoping to clear away the muddy-appearing water. But they were required to halt that procedure for fear they would deplete adequate water supplies for the city. Unrelated, but an interesting double-calamity for those depending on the functionality of integral civil services, the city's metro system suffered a complete shutdown during rush hour because of computer problems.

"I hope Montreal's still under warranty", quipped one resident in a delightful tweet. It isn't known whether any tweeted advice to evacuate to Toronto, or to move the affected population to one of the many northern-based provincial reserves, returning the compliment when said First Nations reserves encounter problems with the reliability of their potable water due to some malfunction, or responding to spring flooding conditions mandate temporary evacuation to nearby cities.