Hotels at the Grand Canyon were forced to close over the busy Labor Day weekend after a 50-year-old water main to the region ruptured, park rangers said Wednesday.
According to a statement from the National Park Service, a “series of four significant breaks in the 12-mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, which delivers water from the canyon for use in the park,” has prevented drinking water “from being pumped to the South or North Rim.”
The El Tovar Hotel, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Phantom Ranch, Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village RV Park all had to turn away guests who stayed Thursday night.
Officials said hotels outside the park, in nearby Tusayan, were still open.
Camping is still allowed with working faucets in the bathrooms, though access to the faucets at campsites on the South Rim will be closed, officials said.
Also, no fires are allowed on the South Rim and in the inner canyon areas. That means all wood and charcoal fires, campfires, warming fires, and charcoal barbecues are prohibited.
The 12-mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, built in the 1960s, “has exceeded its expected lifespan and is experiencing frequent failures,” the park service said.
Since 2010, 85 major breaches have occurred, and the NPS “recently began construction on a multi-year, $208 million renovation of the Transcanyon Waterline,” the park service said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
