Grand Canyon Flooding Pipeline

FILE - A section of pipeline that brings water to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is seen below Bright Angel Lodge in Arizona, Aug. 30, 2024.

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Flash flooding causes major damage to the Grand Canyon's critical water pipeline

Flash flooding causes major damage to the Grand Canyon's critical water pipeline

The sole pipeline that supplies water for millions of Grand Canyon visitors was badly damaged by weekend flash flooding, setting up a tricky repair scenario and upending a yearslong construction project to upgrade the line. The Transcanyon Waterline traverses terrain so rugged that helicopters are often required to make basic repairs. Park officials say roughly 40% of the 12.5-mile-long line was damaged or destroyed. It has endured dozens of breaks in recent years and was undergoing a more than $200 million repair and replacement project when the floods hit. The rugged terrain makes any effort to fix breaks time-consuming, precarious and costly, so efforts to address the latest damage will be complicated.