A waterline just south of Apple Street near Hawkins Preserve broke Thursday afternoon and produced rust-colored tap water for some city water customers.

The colored water was safe to drink, said Cortez City Public Works Superintendent Don Royce.

The coloration appears when mineral byproducts of standard water treatment processes get into the water, Royce said. The sediment, which typically sits at the bottom of water pipes, is stirred after the piping breaks. High water pressure in the pipes prevents outside sediment from getting into the line, he said.

Waterline breaks do not necessarily interrupt service for all customers. According to Royce, nobody lost water on Thursday because of the break.

The city of Cortez announced on its website shortly after the break that “water has been shut off in the immediate area and service will be resumed as soon as possible.”

Breaks often occur in early fall as ground temperatures approach freezing, which causes the ground to change shape around pipes. Another pipeline break was reported yesterday near 904 E. Driscoll St.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Cortez on Thursday reached a low of 32 degrees at 6:53 a.m. and a high of 77 degrees by 1:53 p.m., a difference of 45 degrees.

Royce said the waterline would be fully functional by 9:30 a.m. Friday after his team replaced the pipe, treated the line and flushed the sediment.