Grand Canyon National Park officials say they expect to restore water to the South Rim in the coming weeks after flash flooding destroyed an estimated 40% of the park’s drinking water system almost two weeks ago.
During a community meeting Tuesday night, officials said the Aug. 29 flash flood that tore through parts of the inner canyon didn’t damage most of the nearly complete replacement for the older Transcanyon Waterline.
The more than $200 million replacement has been in the works for years and will pull water from Bright Angel Creek rather than Roaring Springs on the North Rim.
But the new water intake at Bright Angel Creek was destroyed by flooding. Officials said construction on its replacement is slated to start this week.
“The temporary intake is being designed to pump approximately 500 gallons per minute, which is the same capacity we had prior to the flood,” said park incident commander Dave Black at Tuesday’s meeting. “Once operational, it can provide a stable water source while permanent work continues. Now we have a path forward and work is underway.”
Black did not provide an expected completion date.
But he said the current plan eliminates the need to rebuild miles of water pipes from Roaring Springs to the South Rim.
“In many ways, we are accelerating the work that was underway prior to the flood,” Black said. “Based on what we know today, we're working toward restoring a reliable water supply and in the coming weeks, not months. There is still significant work ahead.”
In the meantime water conservation measures will remain in place. Officials say residents have been more successful at reducing water use than was expected.
Last week park officials said there was about two weeks of water in storage tanks. After initial conservation measures were put in place, the water level in those tanks dropped by about half a foot each day.
But Black said they’ve further reduced water use and levels in the tank are now dropping by just over 4 inches per day.
“So what we're doing is working. This is very significant. Every gallon we can save gives our crews more time to complete the work in the canyon,” Black said.
Last week, the park and community organizations began distributing bottled water to residents, who were told to only consume bottled water while using tap water to bathe, wash dishes and clothes.
That came after the park had already entered heightened stage 4 water restrictions, which temporarily shut off water taps at campgrounds and suspended overnight lodging at hotels within the park.
This week, the officials announced free laundry services for residents to reduce water consumption further.
Black said damage assessments at Phantom Ranch have found the developed area was largely spared by the flooding.
“We lost lives and our deepest sympathies go out to the families of both those we lost and the family of the person we continue to search for,” said Grand Canyon Superintendent Ed Keable at Tuesday’s meeting. “But we've also seen extraordinary responses. Our first responders acted quickly and courageously and saved dozens of lives. Our park leadership team immediately stepped forward, managed an incredibly complex incident.”
It was the first appearance from Keable since last month's flooding that left two dead. Search efforts are ongoing for a third missing hiker.
At the meeting, Keable said he was “dealing with a serious medical issue involving a close family member.”
