A 10-inch diameter water main broke under Central Avenue in Fort Dodge Wednesday afternoon, causing discolored water to flow from faucets downtown.

Public Works Department crews will open some fire hydrants today to flush rusty water out of the pipes.

The water main that broke is beneath Central Avenue between the Canadian National Railway tracks and Third Street, according to Public Works Director Greg Koch.

“It blew pretty hard,” he said. “It was a pretty significant water main break.”

He said the problem was discovered at about 2 p.m. It took four hours to repair it.

Koch said the water became discolored because the opening and closing of valves during the repair process stirred up sediment in the pipes.