The Bessemer water main break was fixed, officials announced late Monday, three days after service was knocked out to thousands of customers. The city said service was expected to return gradually to customers Monday evening. Mayor Ken Gulley blamed the disruption on the age of the system, which includes pipes more than 100 years old. Water service was restored over the weekend, when crews put a clamp on the broken main, but the clamp broke Sunday night, disrupting service again. In addition to causing a hardship for residential customers, the break forced the shutdown of municipal offices Monday, including the Bessemer courthouse. Some downtown businesses, including the Bright Star restaurant, also closed.