Tawa College in Wellington has sent its nearly 1500 students home for the day, and 60 houses are without water, after a water main burst outside the school earlier this morning.
The main, on Duncan Terrace, is the third to burst in Wellington in two days.
Yesterday one went in Tawa and another in Crofton Downs sent water shooting nearly 20m into the air.
Water was off for hours in the suburbs yesterday but the mains have since been repaired.
Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said it appeared the main would be able to be isolated so the area could be supplied by other nearby mains.
Tawa College sent its nearly 1500 students home for the day because of the burst main. Photo: Google Street View
Wellington Water community engagement manager Alex van Paassen said he was not yet sure whether the bursts were related, but the pipes were all of a similar age and construction.
Mr van Paassen said the asbestos-cement pipes were installed in the 1950s and are coming to the end of their useful life.
"That material is quite brittle and fragile ... so if there is any movement over time, which there will be over 50, 60 years, then gradually it just increases the chance of a burst or a fracture in the pipe."
He said the problem should be fixed mid-to-late afternoon.