If asked what's impressive about the Grand Canyon, most visitors probably won't mention a water pipeline. But one of this national park's great engineering feats is the Trans-Canyon Pipeline, which carries half a million gallons of water every day from Roaring Springs down Bright Angel Canyon, past Phantom Ranch and across Silver Bridge.
The water is then pumped up to the arid South Rim to support millions of tourists each year, few of whom realize that the water they're using to rehydrate or wash their hands has traveled farther than most canyon hikers.
Built by the National Park Service in 1965, this 16-mile long aluminum pipe is showing its age, with major breaks happening more and more often. When those leaks occur they're costly and disruptive.
Full replacement of the pipeline will be complicated, with costs estimated at between 100 and 150 million dollars. But workers are now replacing a half-mile section of the pipeline where fractures occur most frequently.
Since January, heavy lift helicopters have been used to get construction materials to a section that stretches from the lower Campground Bridge north to the Phantom Ranch Cantina. The work is slated to last through July.
See if you can spot the pipeline as you hike Bright Angel Trail - or listen for the pump house churning away at Indian Garden. And next time you top off your water bottle at a South Rim drinking fountain, spare a thought for all the effort involved in bringing you that cool refreshing drink.