A waterline in Zelienople burst Thursday after three townhouses caught fire on Timberbrook Court.

“It is related to the fire,” said former borough manager Don Pepe. “It put a lot of pressure on the system because of the amount of necessary water that was used in such a small amount of time.”

That stress on the water system caused an 8½-foot section of pipe to burst in the area surrounding the fire. The break and the amount of water used to put out the fire resulted in discolored water and low water pressure throughout the borough.

“Also because of that use of water necessary to put out the fire, our water supply dropped considerably in our tanks,” Pepe said. “Because of that drop, you get sediment in the water.”

Crews worked Thursday to repair the line, and water tanks began to stabilize. The discolored water will take time to clear.

“The water is back up, and the sediment will go away,” Pepe said. “It’s not an unsafe system.”

Pepe said there is no boil advisory in effect.

However, the borough cautions residents against using the water for doing laundry.

“I wouldn’t wash any clothes with it,” he said. “It could stain your clothes.”

According to Pepe, the borough is waiting to see if repairs will hold. If they do not, crews will have to revisit the work Friday.

Pepe praised the efforts of firefighters and work crews over the last day. He hoped they would all get some much-needed rest.

“It wasn’t anybody’s fault,” he said. “They did a good job with it, and it could have been a lot worse.”