The three public schools in the North Kohala area of the Big Island will be closed today because of an ongoing water shortage.

The county's Department of Water Supply said Kohala elementary, intermediate and high schools will be closed while crews repair a malfunctioning pump that serves the area.

Daryl Ikeda, a department spokesman, said the repairs are expected to be completed by tomorrow morning.

Ikeda did not have an estimate yesterday of how many people have been affected by the problem, which left many residents and businesses without water all weekend.

The broken pump serves customers throughout North Kohala except those in Makapala and Niuli'i. Those customers get their water from a different source.

Six tanker trucks have been providing water to the affected areas, and the county has urged residents to limit use to basic needs.

For drinking water, the county has stationed tankers at its public works base yard on Ho'ea Road and at the Hawai'i Electric Light Co. substation on Highway 250.

The water problem began Friday when the pump, which taps one of two wells supplying North Kohala, malfunctioned. The other well already was inoperative because of a broken pump.

Reach Rob Perez at rperez@honoluluadvertiser.com.