According to Water and Sewer Department manager Eric Carty, there was a water main break on Claflin Avenue (off Main Street) on Thursday afternoon.

“Water will be off for several hours while the repairs are being made,” Carty shared. “After the water is turned back on there may be some air and discoloration and you may need to run your cold water line to help clear the lines.”

UPDATE, Sunday, 8:30 a.m.: Carty said that while the break did “correspond with the work going on” as part of the Main Street Corridor Project, it actually proved beneficial to the town that the issue was discovered, terming the outdated iron connection a “ticking time bomb.”

“We’re actually kind of lucky that it happened now rather than after they were done with the pipe work,” Carty said. “There was a 2-inch iron pipe that no one knew was even there.”

Carty explained that iron pipes — an old and outdated use — are located “all over town” and are “accidents waiting to happen.” He added that the town’s records are not complete in terms of identifying where the iron pipes remain.

The town was able to repair the Claflin Avenue break quickly, Carty noted.

“We went about as soon as one could go,” Cary said. “[Main Street Corridor Project contractor] Amorello helped us with it. It was backfilled and fixed in two hours, which is very fast.”