Water shortage disrupts overnight stays at Grand Canyon hotels before Labor Day weekend

Pipeline leaks at the Grand Canyon will shut down overnight hotel accommodations over Labor Day weekend, the National Park Service announced Thursday.

Officials found four significant breaks in the Transcanyon Waterline, reducing water supplies in the canyon and forcing multiple hotels inside the park to stop hosting overnight guests for the foreseeable future, according to a release.

Hotels booked in Tusayan, the town outside the Grand Canyon, will not be affected.

Water will be unavailable from spigots in South Rim dry campgrounds, but bathroom faucets will still work. Daytime food and beverage services will still be in operation.

“We are asking residents and visitors to help conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth, flushing toilets selectively, washing laundry with full loads, and reporting leaks to the appropriate offices,” the release said.

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Hikers are warned to carry enough water or methods of filtering creek water while walking. There are no campfires allowed on the South Rim or inner canyon areas.

Built in the 1960s, the Transcanyon Waterline delivers water from the North Rim of the canyon to the South Rim, but it experiences frequent breaks and has exceeded its expected useful life, the park service said. There have been 85 major breaks along the waterline that have disrupted water delivery in the canyon since 2010.

Contractors are building a new waterline to replace the damaged existing structure. It will cost $208 million and is expected to be completed in 2027.