GUILDERLAND — Water service was restored on Sunday after a water main broke on Saturday afternoon near Route 155 and Regency Park in Guilderland.

The pipe, which was buried in 1972, had a three-inch hole, said William Bremigen, assistant superintendent of the town’s water and wastewater department. “It happens periodically when there is a shift in the ground … A stone can wear a small spot,” he said.

The break occurred at about 2 p.m., Bremigen told The Enterprise, which was more than four hours before an earthquake was registered in the area.

The 16-inch pipe — the largest size used in Guilderland — was buried 14 feet deep. A fiber-optic line, which hadn’t been marked, ran two feet above the water main, Bremigen said, which complicated the excavation and repair.

“It wasn’t a lot of fun,” he said.

During the repair, residents were supplied with water from a five-inch diameter hose hooked up to a fire hydrant, he said.

Asked about the cost of the repair, Bremigen said, “We haven’t put that together yet.” He noted that the department’s budget includes over-time hours in case of a need for emergency repairs like this.

Such repairs, Bremigen said, are not out of the ordinary. “Usually it’s in springtime when the ground starts to move,” he said.

Repairs were also made to the roadway, he said, since the water had undermined some of the pavement.

Once the line was fixed, no advisory was issued for residents to boil water as the water was tested and found to be safe.

Residents were advised that air pockets in their service lines may cause brown water and they were instructed to run their bathtub faucets on cold until the water cleared.

“Things are definitely safe,” Bremigen concluded.