By Jonas Reyes Olongapo City, Zambales – The water supply in this city has been critically low, placing 11 barangays in a water crisis, Subic Water said yesterday. The water utility company released a statement to advise residents to brace themselves for tougher times because Subic Water’s submersible raw water pumps cannot run continuously. “If we keep running the pumps and they are not submerged in water, they will most likely overheat and break down,” the statement read. It identified the 11 barangays affected by the water supply shortage as New Cabalan, Old Cabalan, Kalaklan, Barretto, Banicain, Kababae, Ilalim, West Tapinac, East Tapinac, Kalalake, and Pag-asa. The company explained that it has to shut down its pumps, wait for the rivers to recharge and build up the minimum level required for the safe operation at their Binictican Plant, which is the 11 barangays’ source of water. Subic Water said the Binictican Plant relies on the water being fed by the rivers. It added that other barangays may also experience a water shortage from the company’s Mabayuan Plant because the water level in the Sta. Rita River is registering critical flow rates. The company assured, though, that deep wells in the Naval Magazine area are running at full capacity to aid water production in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. “We have built an ample amount of buffer supply overnight and thus, were able to restore service to most parts of New Cabalan, save for the most vulnerable areas of Purok-3 and Purok-4. Water tankers are making the rounds there,” it said.