A multidisciplinary project will develop a decision-making tool to estimate the risk of water contamination in flooded areas. 

QUÉBEC and MONTRÉAL, May 25, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Québec has seen record flooding in recent years. In addition to causing property damage and psychological impacts, flooding can pose a significant health risk, particularly due to contamination of drinking water sources. Professor Geneviève Bordeleau This hyperlink will open in a new window. of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique This hyperlink will open in a new window. (INRS) is leading a research project to better protect communities and boost their resilience by enabling them to manage vulnerable drinking water sources more effectively in the event of flooding.

INRS Professor Geneviève Bordeleau, expert in isotopic geochemistry and principal investigator of the project (CNW Group/Institut National de la recherche scientifique (INRS))

Professor Bordeleau, fellow INRS professor Karem Chokmani This hyperlink will open in a new window., the company Géosapiens This hyperlink will open in a new window., and Professor Roxane Lavoie from Université Laval This hyperlink will open in a new window. are collaborating on the project. Together, they are developing a decision-making tool that could eventually be used throughout Québec. It is one of three projects funded by the Réseau Inondations Intersectoriel du Québec This hyperlink will open in a new window. (RIISQ), in a joint initiative with Ouranos This hyperlink will open in a new window..

Professor Bordeleau, an expert in isotopic geochemistry, notes that the risk of drinking water contamination in an area depends on very specific conditions. The underground drinking water source must be located near a contaminated stream from which water seeps into the source during a flood. Infiltration can occur directly from the surface or indirectly through groundwater.

"Although construction standards for drinking water wells in Québec are designed to protect water quality, several factors can increase the risk of water contamination locally," said Professor Bordeleau. 

Risks by sector

The research team will collect public data from different sources as well as conducting field work. The resulting data will be used to develop a methodology for spatially assessing risk.

"We will test this approach in several small study areas with varying social and geographic contexts, types of water supply, and potential contaminants," explained Professor Bordeleau.

This research will enable Québec to take steps to reduce health risks by better protecting water quality in catchment areas affected by flooding.

About INRS

INRS This hyperlink will open in a new window. is a university dedicated exclusively to graduate level research and training. Since its creation in 1969, INRS has played an active role in Québec's economic, social, and cultural development and is ranked first for research intensity in Québec. INRS is made up of four interdisciplinary research and training centres in Québec City, Montréal, Laval, and Varennes, with expertise in strategic sectors: Eau Terre Environnement This hyperlink will open in a new window., Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications This hyperlink will open in a new window., Urbanisation Culture Société This hyperlink will open in a new window., and Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie This hyperlink will open in a new window.. The INRS community includes more than 1,500 students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, and staff.

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Last update: May 25, 2022