SLO residents without water after main breaks near Foothill Blvd.

A water main broke near Foothill Boulevard in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday afternoon, and local authorities are asking people to avoid the area for about four hours.

Aaron Floyd, deputy director of utilities for the city of San Luis Obispo, said there was an approximately 6-inch break in a pipe that was built in the 1950s.

Floyd said the water was turned off where the break occurred in the 800 block of Boysen Avenue, and officials were waiting for the gas company to come out about 5 p.m.

San Luis Obispo police Chief Deanna Cantrell asked the public to avoid the area in a tweet posted at 4:28 p.m.

Floyd said small breaks “are fairly routine for our guys” and that he expected the repair to be complete by 9 p.m.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 5:37 PM with the headline "SLO residents without water after main breaks near Foothill Blvd.."