The flash floodwaters that swept through the Grand Canyon at the end of August have damaged the multi-year water pipeline improvement project intended to ensure more robust and regular delivery of water.
Officials say they expect to find miles of the 12.5-mile Trans-Canyon Waterline to have been destroyed. Initial flyovers estimated approximately 40% of the pipeline has been damaged.
The pipeline moves water down one side of the canyon to the base, crosses a bridge and brings it back up the other side. Breaks are expensive and time consuming to repair because of the terrain.
The original pipeline was completed in the 1970s and has suffered more than 85 breaks since 2010. Following more than 10 years of design work, a replacement project was begun in 2023. The replacement includes installing helicopter pads, creating water treatment facilities and replacing miles of old pipeline with new. It also plans to move the pipeline’s water intake to Bright Angel Creek and place key infrastructure components in less flood-prone areas.
A full assessment of the damage is expected next week. (Source: Associated Press)