BRADFORD, Pa. (AP) -- A water main break that has virtually cut off water to this northwestern Pennsylvania city led to school and business closures on Tuesday -- and officials say the problem won't be fixed for days. Bradford officials say the break Monday in the 24-inch line at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford caused 5 million gallons of water to leak, The Bradford Era (http://bit.ly/1D8wRD9 ) reported Tuesday. Kim Benjamin, executive director of the city water authority, told community and business leaders that water throughout the city would be cut off and the water system will be dry until the main can be repaired and the reservoirs replenished. "We're not going to beat this one before the system goes down," he said. Even after that, Benjamin said, residents will be asked to conserve. "Water is going to be a problem for this community going forward for the next couple of weeks," he said. The city's public school system and university announced that classes had been canceled for the rest of the week and campuses would be closed. Some city businesses also announced plans to close. Mayor Tom Riel said the city has declared a state of emergency to begin applying for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state officials have also offered help. Ron Orris, executive director of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce, said Wal-Mart officials have told him that they are shipping several truckloads of bottled water to the store. Water supplies in community stores have sold out following an advisory to boil water after the initial break in the water line. The city about 130 miles northeast of Pittsburgh had a population of 8,870 in the 2010 census, according to its website.