Clyde Chief Fire Officer Stephen Gee said firefighters were alerted at 6.48am, and spent nearly 90 minutes dealing with the situation, which resulted from an apparent equipment fault in a low pressure hot water pipe.
A couple of patients were moved for convenience in dealing with the situation, but the incident did not result in major disruption to the hospital, and only part of one ward was affected by the leak.
Firefighters were able to control the water flow, and helped with mopping up in part of the ward.
Two plumbers also dealt with the water pipe problem.
Because of the coronavirus lockdown, Clyde volunteer firefighters had not been carrying out their normal group training work, and the call-out gave them the chance to test out their personal protective equipment and precautionary tactics which would be standard during the lockdown, Mr Gee said.
As well as their usual protective gear, as a precauton firefighters also used disposable gloves and masks, and used bleach disinfectant extensively on tarpaulins used at the scene.
Firefighters limited their initial response on the fire appliance to four volunteer firefighters, until the situation could be clarified, and then further firefighters were deployed.
The overall response, and precautionary use of personal protective equipment, and the laundry and disinfecting aspects of the aftermath had all gone "very, very well", he said.
Central Otago Health Services chief executive Kathy de Luc said the firefighters had done "an excellent job in assisting with the clean-up and we are very grateful for their help".
The water leak had been contained within the corridor of the ward.
A full investigation of the incident would be undertaken this morning (ie Monday) by the hospital's administration and facilities manager Maree Leitch, Ms de Luc said.
