By National Park Service
The National Park Service is preparing for a multi-year $208M rehabilitation of the Transcanyon Waterline and related upgrades to the associated water delivery system within the inner canyon and South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. This critical investment will ensure the park is able to meet water supply needs for the next 50-plus years, supporting six million annual visitors and approximately 2,500 year-round residents.
Initial activity in late spring and summer 2023 will focus on establishing construction infrastructure and staging areas in the Grand Canyon Village Area on the park’s South Rim. The NPS does not anticipate restrictions or closures in 2023 that would impact visitors. The TCWL replacement is projected for completion in 2027.
The NPS is replacing the TCWL because it is beyond its expected useful life, experiences frequent failures, and requires expensive and continuous inner canyon maintenance work to repair leaks. Since 2010, there have been more than 85 major breaks in the TCWL that have each disrupted water delivery. Costs for a single isolated break often exceed $25K. Conditions in the inner canyon include extreme terrain and high temperatures, which increase the risk to employees during repair operations. The system also supplies water for fire suppression for all South Rim and inner canyon facilities, including more than 800 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Originally built in the 1960s, the TCWL is a 12.5-mile waterline that provides potable water for all facilities on the South Rim and inner canyon facilities within the park. The TCWL project will relocate the water intake for the water delivery system from Roaring Springs to Bright Angel Creek near Phantom Ranch. This location will greatly reduce the length of the TCWL and eliminate a portion of the current waterline north of Phantom Ranch that experiences the most frequent failures. The water intake at Roaring Springs will continue to provide water to the North Rim. The project includes:
- Construction of an auxiliary hangar, helicopter landing pad, and contractor support area at the park helicopter base to support inner canyon construction.
- Construction of a 1 million-gallon/day water treatment plant at the South Rim and a smaller water treatment plant at Phantom Ranch.
- Replacement of the water distribution system at Havasupai Gardens.
- Replacement of approximately three miles of waterline and the upgrade of approximately three miles of electrical supply line from Havasupai Gardens to Phantom Ranch.
- Construction of a water intake system and pumping station and local water treatment plant for the Phantom Ranch area.
- Replacement of the water and electrical distribution systems at Phantom Ranch.
The NPS awarded the $208M construction contract on March 14, 2023 to Stronghold Engineering, Inc. of Perris, Calif.
More information is available on the project page here.
