A water main broke Wednesday morning on the west side of the Holmes Student Center, making it impossible for buses to use the turnaround.

The water main broke around 7 or 8 a.m. “This is normal for this time of year,” said Bob Albanese, associate vice president of Finance and Facilities.

The breakage is caused when there is less insulation for water mains because there is no snow on the ground, said Bryan Faivre, district production supervisor with the city of DeKalb.

The water in the student center was not affected, although the broken main caused inconveniences for bus riders, Albanese said.

The buses were rerouted Wednesday and used the DuSable Hall turnaround as a replacement, Albanese said.

Ron Pearson, coordinator of Parking Services, in cooperation with the HSC, city of DeKalb, Huskie buses and the physical plant, rerouted bus stops to DuSable Hall as a temporary solution to the blocked side of the HSC.

A city crew dug a hole in the road to get to the water main and by noon the main was fixed, and the hole was filled.

David Beard, a Huskie Line bus driver, said the break affected his route by causing him to arrive early at stops. He also said it caused a lot of confusion among students.

The pipes are 30 to 40 years old, and the broken water main was the second one to go this year, the first one being south of DuSable hall, Albanese said.

“Anytime we have a fluctuation in temperature, we have the capability of having some water mains pop,” Albanese said.