Several water experts have warned that the two water treatment plants in Selangor might break down if they continue to operate beyond their capacity.
They said the state's water crisis could be solved if the non-revenue water (NRW) leakages were resolved.
Water and Energy Research Malaysia Association president S. Piarapakaran said the overworked plants in Sungai Semenyih and Sungai Langat were bound to breakdown.
"The plants have been running on overcapacity. It is only a matter of time before one or more of the production lines stop operating."
It was reported that the Sungai Semenyih treatment plant had exceeded its water production capacity by 20 per cent, from 545 million litres per day to 653 million litres per day on June 5 to 11.
The Sungai Langat treatment plant had exceeded its water production capacity by 24 per cent, from 386 million litres per day to 478 million litres.
"If the country continues its annual treated water production demand of 2.14 per cent, we'll face a water crisis by 2014.
"The low reserve margins will disrupt the water supply system during a dry spell and in the event of an unforeseen raw water problem."
On Friday, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Water Association vice-president Aldric Loong Kim Yew said the Klang Valley was heading towards a major crisis, worse than the 1998 water shortage.
Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) said the average water demand in the Klang Valley and Putrajaya had increase to 4,364 million litres per day -- close to the treatment plants' 4,371 million litres daily capacity.
Piarapakaran said the Federal Government should step in and carry out the necessary actions required for the implementation of the Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer and Langat 2 water treatment plant projects.
The projects will treat some 1.89 billion litres of raw water to be channelled to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya until 2025.
"The new plant will definitely ease the problem, but the low reserve margin can only be solved if the government also addresses the NRW leakages."
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