Nearly 300,000 Without Potable Water in Quebec City

Montreal: Nearly 300,000 residents of Quebec City were without potable tap water Wednesday after a major pipe burst, prompting a boil water order, and a run on bottled water.

Four of the city's five hospitals as well as some 40 schools were relying on deliveries of bottled water.

Pascale St-Pierre, a hospital spokeswoman, told public broadcaster Radio-Canada the tap water had become "cloudy."

<divid='ndtvrelcontent'></div>

In several neighborhoods, stores quickly ran out of bottled water, while restaurants stopped providing ice in drinks.

As many as 100,000 homes, or 250,000 to 300,000 residents were ordered to boil tap water for at least one minute before drinking it, using it for cooking or brushing teeth with it.

The order could be lifted at the day's end, city spokeswoman Marjorie Potvin told AFP.

"We'll conduct water tests tonight and then we'll be able to make a decision whether to maintain the boil water order or not," she said.