HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island water officials found a used motor packed away in storage and hooked it up to a well pump near Hawi in a temporary fix yesterday that restored water service to about 1,600 North Kohala homes and businesses.

Arthur Souza, West Hawai'i complex area superintendent for the state Department of Education, said yesterday afternoon that the department planned to reopen Kohala High School, Kohala Middle School and Kohala Elementary School today so long as the repairs held up overnight.

"As of this moment right now, we're looking to open up, and that's the word that we're putting out," Souza said. Any change in that plan would be announced by Big Island Civil Defense, education officials said.

The three schools remained closed yesterday after water officials were unable to complete water system repairs over the weekend.

Water officials said two pumps normally serve the Hawi-area water system, but one of the pumps has been down for repairs for about a month.

The motor for that 1-million- gallons-per-day pump in North Kohala Hawi Deep Well No. 2 was being refurbished on the Mainland when the second pump at another well closer to Hawi failed on Friday, cutting off service to much of the North Kohala area.

Quirino Antonio, deputy manager for the county Department of Water Supply, said water officials finally found a used motor that could be used on the Deep Well No. 2 pump until the rebuilt motor is returned from the Mainland within the next week.

"We're putting water into the system as we speak," Antonio said. "Hopefully, our system can be charged up within the next 12 hours of so."

In the meantime, a contractor has been trying to extract the pump at North Kohala Hawi Deep Well No. 1 that failed Friday, to determine what repairs are needed on that equipment, Antonio said.

Over the weekend, water officials used six private tanker trucks to haul water to a reservoir to charge the system so that Kohala Hospital in Kapa'au and some other customers in the area would have water service, but water officials warned people receiving that water to boil it before drinking.

Water trucks also were stationed over the weekend at Hoe'a Road and the top of Hawi Hill Road in North Kohala, so residents could obtain drinking water, Antonio said.

Antonio said conservation measures will remain in place until the second well is back in service. Residents are urged to limit water use to "the most basic needs" until repairs on the system can be completed.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.