An Ottawa man is facing drug charges after police dismantled a suspected meth lab in Lowertown earlier this week.

Police were called to an apartment at 345 Barber St. on Sunday just before 10 p.m. after receiving a call from the family of a man who lived in a fourth-floor unit to check on his well-being.

Patrol officers noticed a strong chemical odour coming from the unit, police said in a media release issued Wednesday.

The family told police they believed he may have tried to cook the highly addictive drug crystal meth.

The man was arrested and taken to hospital for unspecified injuries.

Ottawa firefighters responded to an investigation in a suspected meth lab in at this apartment building in Lowertown on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (CBC News)

'Tenant maintained a hoarding lifestyle'

After getting a search warrant, police, paramedics, firefighters and the OPP's clandestine laboratory response team cleared the unit of chemicals, which were sent to Health Canada for analysis.

"Given the fact that the tenant maintained a hoarding lifestyle the disposal process was only completed Tuesday ... at approximately 11:30 p.m.," police said.

The accused, a 40-year-old man, was charged with producing a schedule 1 substance and possessing chemicals to be used to produce a schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Anyone with information regarding drug complaints is encouraged to call Ottawa police at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).