Grand Canyon pipeline repairs completed; overnight lodging set to resume

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona — Repairs are currently underway on the Grand Canyon National Park pipeline, and officials plan to lift the suspension of overnight accommodations at the South Rim on Thursday, a week after hotels were forced to turn away visitors during one of the park’s busiest times of the year.

Four major fractures in the 20-kilometer-long Transcanyon Waterline had caused the famous tourist destination close overnight stays in hotels from August 29th.

Park spokesman Joell Baird said Tuesday that the pipeline was successfully repaired late last week and that no new ruptures occurred after pressure was restored and water flow returned to normal.

She said the water storage tanks were at 4.1 metres and should be at 4.6 metres by Thursday so the park can return to its usual water conservation measures.

Visitors were unable to stay overnight at the El Tovar Hotel, Bright Angel Lodge, Phantom Ranch, Maswik Lodge and other hotels due to last week’s water restrictions.

According to officials, the park has been experiencing water supply problems since July 8.

Baird said she didn’t know how much the pipeline repair would cost or how much the park would lose in overnight reservations over Labor Day weekend.

The Transcanyon Waterline was built in the 1960s and provides drinking water to facilities on the South Rim and the inner canyon.

Park officials said the pipeline has exceeded its lifespan and has suffered more than 85 major ruptures since 2010, disrupting water supplies.

The pipeline rupture occurred during a $208 million water main renovation project by the National Park Service.

Improvements to the associated water delivery system are expected to be completed in 2027.

The park aims to meet the water needs of 6 million annual visitors and 2,500 permanent residents.