GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona — Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park can no longer stay in hotels after a series of breaks in the main pipeline that supplies the popular tourist destination.
The restrictions will be in place throughout the Labor Day holiday, when hotels will be near or at full capacity, Grand Canyon spokeswoman Joelle Baird said Wednesday, an unprecedented move even for a water main that has experienced frequent outages.
The 12.5-mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, originally built in the 1960s, supplies drinking water to facilities on the South Rim and in the inner canyon. Park officials say the line has exceeded its expected lifespan and that there have been more than 85 major breaks since 2010, each of which has cut off the water supply.
There have been four major breaks in the pipeline, according to park officials. They said all park concessions will suspend overnight accommodations, including at El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge and Phantom Ranch. Hotels outside the park in the town of Tusayan will not be affected.
The park will remain open during the day, and the Grand Canyon Lodge and other visitor services on the North Rim will also remain open.
Under Level 4 water restrictions in the park, authorities are asking residents and visitors to help conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets when shaving or brushing teeth, using toilet flushes selectively and only washing laundry with full loads.
According to officials, the park has been experiencing water supply problems since July 8 and water is currently not being pumped to either the south or north rim of the canyon.
Park management hopes to restore full operational status for overnight guests at the South Rim as soon as possible.
The National Park Service recently began a $208 million renovation of the aqueduct and modernization of the associated water supply system, which is expected to be completed in 2027.
The park aims to meet the water needs of six million annual visitors and about 2,500 year-round residents, officials said.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
