Waterline Breaks Force Grand Canyon to Halt Hotel Stays on South Rim

Citing recent breaks in its waterline, Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona announced Wednesday that it would temporarily halt overnight hotel stays on the South Rim of the park starting Thursday afternoon, just before the busy Labor Day weekend.

The park also announced strict water restrictions on the South Rim after four recent significant breaks in the 12-and-a-half-mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park.

The park has been dealing with water supply problems since July 8, according to the Park Service, saying that “currently, no water is being pumped to either the South or North Rim.”

It was not immediately clear how long the closure would last. Joelle Baird, the park’s spokeswoman, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

“The goal is to restore full operational status for overnight guests on the South Rim as quickly as possible,” the Parks Service said in the statement.

But Xanterra, which operates hotels inside the park, said on its website that no overnight guests would be allowed to stay inside the park from Aug. 29 through Sept. 4.

The closure, which comes at the height of the park’s busy summer season, affects overnight accommodations, such as hotel and camp sites inside the park. Hotels outside of the park, in the town of Tusayan, will not be affected.

The closure affects the four hotels in the park that are owned by Xanterra Travel Collection: El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch. It also affects Yavapai Lodge, a hotel about half a mile from the South Rim, and Trailer Village, an RV park.

There are just over 900 lodging units on the South Rim, according to the Park Service.

Visitors will be allowed only to go “dry camping,” the Park Service said, adding that there would be no spigot access at campgrounds. Faucets in bathrooms will stay in use, the Park Service said.

Campfires, including warming fires and charcoal barbecues, will not be allowed.

On the North Rim — the lesser visited part of the Canyon — a lodge and camp grounds will remain open. Also known as the “other side” of the Grand Canyon, the North Rim attracts about one tenth of all park visitors, according to the National Park Service. About six million people a year visit the park.

It is not the first time the Transcanyon Waterline has experienced problems. The waterline, built in the 1960s, has outlived its expected life span, according to the Park Service, and requires a lot of expensive repairs. Since 2010, there have been more than 85 breaks that have disrupted water delivery to the park.

The park will continue to be open during the day, and food and beverage services will be up and running. The post office will remain open during the day.