A buildup of pressure in Kurow’s water mains led to an overnight break, draining the entire reservoir within about 45 minutes.
Supplies were restored for most of the town by about 8am yesterday and the shortage was isolated to houses around Bowan and Ferguson Sts until 1pm, when it was fixed.
A Waitaki District Council spokesman said at night there was lower water usage, which put additional pressure on the system.
That pressure could cause failures in the pipes, which was the case yesterday.
"We're obviously always looking to ensure stability of the water network and council has a long-term schedule for upgrades and improvements.
"Recent improvements in Kurow, including the installation of line valves, allowed us to isolate the problem section and restore water to the rest of the town very quickly.
"We're happy with the fast work from our contractors to get this fixed fast, including starting work in the dark."
The break caused little fuss for Kurow residents.
Many of those spoken to were connected to a water tanks or had their water restored by the time they were out of bed.
An employee at Feliz & Sage Cafe & Gifts said it was unable to open early in the morning, but the water came back about 8.30am.
Resident Brian Deaker said nothing came out of the tap when he got up at 5.30am to make his cup of tea, but the water was back on for him by about 7am.
