Officials have paused repair work on the Inner Basin Waterline on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff for the winter.
The 13-mile pipeline suffered major damage during monsoon flooding following the 2022 Pipeline Fire.
According to the Coconino National Forest, the repairs are ahead of schedule and work is slated to resume in the spring and continue through the summer of 2025.
During the summer months, the pipeline supplies up to 20% of Flagstaff’s drinking water, but for nearly a year millions of gallons were being lost each day due to the breaks. The spring water has since been restored to the city’s supply.
To date, crews have repaired nine out of the 46 sections of broken pipe.
The remaining repair work will focus on 45 sites on Schultz Pass and Waterline roads to prevent further degradation.