Quebec municipality testing drinking water after 10 hospitalized with illness

SAINT-BERNARD, Que. – A municipality south of Quebec City is running tests on its drinking water after about 10 people were hospitalized with stomach-flu-like symptoms.

Saint-Bernard Mayor Andre Gagnon says some 40 other people have reported falling sick since the beginning of July.

A boil water advisory was announced on July 17 in the community, which is located some 50 kilometres south of the provincial capital.

Gagnon says nobody appears to have fallen sick since then, which leads municipal officials to believe the illnesses were caused by bacteria in the drinking water.

Nevertheless, he says all the tests to determine the source of the bacteria have thus far been negative.

He said the town’s water does not contain chlorine and it’s unclear when the advisory will be lifted.