Pipeline breaks at Grand Canyon lead to water restrictions

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. – A series of breaks in a Grand Canyon water pipeline has put the national park under tighter water restrictions.

Park spokeswoman Vanessa Ceja-Cervantes said Wednesday the breaks have been repaired, but additional maintenance is needed, including flushing the line.

Ceja-Cervantes says the park will remain in conservation mode until the work is done and the water storage tank on the South Rim reaches a sustainable level. She says rainy weather has prevented crews from working on the section of the decades-old pipeline most prone to breaking.

The tighter restrictions mean water is served by request only at park businesses. Water-filling stations at the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trailheads on the South Rim have been turned off. Residents and visitors always are asked to conserve water.