Another Pipeline Break Spurs Water Conservation Measures At Grand Canyon National Park

Another break in the pipeline that carries water from the North Rim to the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park has forced water conservation measures to be implemeneted on the South Rim.

The break was along the North Kaibab Trail, a park release said Tuesday.

To help conserve water, all residents, visitors, and park operations are urged to reduce water usage wherever possible, including in homes, hotel rooms, and campgrounds. These efforts are critical to maintaining water availability while still ensuring public health and safety, the release said.

Mandatory water conservation measures include:

• Use low water cleaning techniques and reduce toilet flushing to the minimum necessary.
• Turn water off while you shave or brush your teeth.
• Take shorter or less frequent showers.
• No washing cars, boats, bikes, or any outside vehicle.
• Utilize dry precleaning methods to scrape off food items before thoroughly washing dishes.
• Fill the sink with water while washing dishes to avoid running water.
• Report drips, leaks, or other water loss to appropriate offices.

Conservation measures require that all concessions operations:

• Alter menus to use less water for food prep and dish washing.
• Adopt low water use for hotel management while still ensuring cleanliness and hygiene for guests.
• Serve drinking water at restaurants by request only.

Hikers in the backcountry should plan to carry sufficient water or be prepared with methods to treat water. Water is currently unavailable at the Manzanita Rest Area.

For the most updated information on water availability in the backcountry, visit the park’s Critical Backcountry Updates web page at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/trail-closures.htm.

The National Park Service is in the process of having the pipeline rebuilt. 

Rebuilding the transcanyon waterline, at a projected cost of $208 million, will involve related upgrades to the associated water delivery system within the inner canyon and South Rim. This critical investment is expected to ensure the park is able to meet water supply needs for the next 50 plus years, supporting 6 million annual visitors and approximately 2,500 year-round residents, accoriding to a park release.

The Park Service is replacing the pipeline because it is beyond its expected useful life, experiences frequent failures, and requires expensive and continuous inner canyon maintenance work to repair leaks. Since 2010, there have been more than 85 major breaks in the pipeline that have disrupted water delivery. Costs for a single isolated break often exceed $25,000. Conditions in the inner canyon include extreme terrain and high temperatures, which increase risk to employees during repair operations. The system also supplies water for fire suppression for all South Rim and inner canyon facilities, including more than 800 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Originally built in the 1960s, the pipeline is a 12 ½-mile waterline that provides the potable water for all facilities on the South Rim and inner canyon facilities within the park. The rehabilitation project will move the water intake for the system from Roaring Springs to Bright Angel Creek near Phantom Ranch. This location will greatly reduce the length of the pipeline and eliminate a portion of the current waterline north of Phantom Ranch that experiences the most frequent failures. The water intake at Roaring Springs will continue to provide water to the North Rim.