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Two days after SNC-Lavalin declared the drainage problems at the new Montreal Children’s Hospital were “largely under control,” drains backed up in the birthing centre early Friday morning, flooding the clinical area with “diarrhea-like” sewage water.

The extent of the drainage blockage appears to be far worse than has been previously acknowledged either by SNC-Lavalin or the McGill University Health Centre as the flooding is widespread throughout the MUHC superhospital, occurring on an almost daily basis, the Montreal Gazette has learned.

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In fact, MUHC housekeeping staff are often dispatched to mop up the flooding and “disinfect” patient floors — a process that can take up to two hours, said a source with direct knowledge, suggesting the plumbing problems raise health and safety concerns at the facilities that opened only four months ago.

Two other sources confirmed the malfunctioning drains, with one source reporting a drain also backed up Thursday night at the Montreal Children’s. What’s more, a public men’s bathroom in the lobby of the Montreal Children’s that had its central drain taped over and that reeked of noxious fumes earlier this week was visited again by a reporter Friday morning, and it still smelled badly despite assurances by design-build contractor SNC-Lavalin it had “addressed” that particular problem.