A break in a city water main gushed overnight, creating a layer of black ice Thursday morning on Holly Avenue and 32nd Street.

The break occurred about 9 p.m. Wednesday when a 2-inch coupler came loose and separated from an underground water meter outside the Terrace Gardens condominium complex at Florida Road and Holly Avenue.

The city’s lead engineer, Gregg Boysen, said the separation could be the result of two things: early winter ground freeze or crewmembers with the Florida Road construction project depressurizing and then repressurizing the neighborhood’s pipes.

With the neighborhood out of water most of Wednesday because of the construction, Public Works Director Jack Rogers said he decided to let the broken main drain overnight so residents weren’t without running water any longer.

The leak drained down Holly Avenue and into 32nd Street, covering a bike lane and part of the westbound travel lane with frozen water.

The city shut off service again Thursday morning and the coupler was replaced.

“I was told it was a $32 fix,” Boysen said.

About 12 residents of Galaxy Drive still were without water as of Thursday afternoon.

gandrews@ durangoherald.com