A burst pipe creates a new water feature in the middle of Wellingoton's Jervois Quay.

Most Wellingtonians would be accustomed to seeing water gushing high into the air from the Carter Fountain in Oriental Bay, but not from the middle of Jervois Quay.

But that is exactly what they saw on Boxing Day when a burst pipe sent a tall column of water shooting high into the air above the central city street, creating what looked like a geyser in Wellington's CBD.

The pipe, underneath the left northbound lane near Harris St, burst about 9am on Tuesday. It spilled a few thousand litres of water onto the road and temporarily closed the lane to traffic.

SUPPLIED The sight of water shooting high into the air is more common in Wellington's Oriental Bay, which is home to the Carter Fountain.

A spokesman for utilities company Wellington Water said the service pipe, which comes off the Wellington main, likely burst due to its age.

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"There was a bit of water on the road," he said. "One lane was closed while they shut the water off, dug it up and repaired it."

STUFF Is it too soon to call this a Boxing Day tradition? A burst pipe on Wellington's Jervois Quay on December 26, 2017, echoed this geyser outside Westpac Stadium a year ago.

A Wellington City Council spokeswoman said police drew their attention to the new central city water feature.

Council contractors were called in to fix the leak, which was repaired by midday.

The area was cordoned off for tarsealing on Tuesday afternoon.

MONIQUE FORD/STUFF A large cavity and broken water pipe was discovered under Featherston St in central Wellington in January.

Wellington has a colourful history when it comes to pipes bursting in spectacular fashion.

In a strange coincidence, Tuesday's incident happened exactly a year after a water main burst in similar fashion near Westpac Stadium, threatening to dampen the capital's Boxing Day sales that year.

Then in January, Featherston St was partially closed for several days while contractors repaired a large hole under the road caused by a quake-damaged water main, which saw the city come dangerously close to running out of water.

A pipe also burst on Victoria St in November, resulting in wastewater from about ten city blocks being discharged into the nearby Whairepo Lagoon.