Students and teachers at Nansemond River High School received an unexpected day away from school Wednesday as a 20-year-old water line broke, flooding portions of the school’s parking lot.

According to Bethanne Bradshaw, Suffolk Public Schools’ public information officer, a Suffolk police officer, who was patrolling the school at around 2 a.m., noticed the water-line break.

“It was discovered when police where checking the property and noticed the water leaking in front of the student parking lot,” Bradshaw said. “They then notified our executive director of facilities and planning at about 2 a.m.”

Crews completed the repair work on the line Wednesday afternoon, and Bradshaw said the school will reopen on a normal schedule Thursday.

The ruptured water line severed water service to the school and the disrupted the school’s fire suppression system, so students and faculty were given the day off, Bradshaw said.

In addition to the canceled classes, the problem forced the rescheduling of the school’s band and chorus concert from Wednesday evening to Jan. 25. It also left open the decision on whether the day will need to be made up by the 1,300-plus students.

Bradshaw said the system as a whole has an extra day built in to the schedule, but if another “weather closing” is needed, then Nansemond River would have to be handled differently, since it was closed Wednesday.

Bradshaw did not estimate the cost of the repairs, but she reported the system would have to pay for the work since the lines were located on school property.