An American Water worker tries to find a drain as a water main break happened as Butler firefighters battle a house fire on 3rd Ave in Butler on Wednesday February 13, 2019.

The 100-year-old water main that broke Wednesday when firefighters tapped a hydrant is nearing the end of its use, a spokesman for the water company said.

Gary Lobaugh, a spokesman for Pennsylvania American Water, said that a six-inch break formed on the century-old cast iron pipe after firefighters responding to a fire on Third Avenue tried to connect to a nearby fire hydrant. The break allowed pressurized water to burst through the street, crumbling a section of the block's road. On Thursday, the street was still damaged by the leftover crater. Because of the water loss, around 45 customers with the water company were without service until 8 p.m. Wednesday, Lobaugh said. And the pipe underneath might break again.

“Now, it's a candidate for replacement,” Lobaugh said. “At this point, we're going to monitor it. If it continues to break over the year, than we'll prioritize it.”