Up to seven quakes, some recording a 3.4 magnitude with Geoscience Australia, were registered in the shire over a five-day period.

Then, on Tuesday, the water main – located at the Muswellbrook Golf Course – burst, resulting in loss of pressure and water to many homes and businesses in the eastern and southern parts of town.

A specialised section of pipe was transported from Newcastle to replace the damaged piece.

Muswellbrook Shire Council also organised bottled water for affected residents at its Sustainability Hub in Wilkinson Avenue, while the Muswellbrook Aquatic Centre made its premises available for showering purposes.

Mayor Martin Rush, as well as his staff, provided constant up-dates to keep locals informed of the situation, too.

And, after many man hours to rectify the problem, the water was finally restored on Thursday morning.

“Unfortunately, the damaged piece was located four-to-five metres under a tree, which had to be removed first,” Cr Rush said on radio.

“It was also an old pipe in a difficult position.

“So, it wasn’t an easy – or simple – job to fix.

“We’d like to thank everyone for their patience.

“The worst of it is over; and water should be back to normal.

“We’ll now put processes in place to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.”