Grand Canyon National Park seeks public comments on North Rim water system

Photograph of water rushing out of the Transcanyon Waterline from a break in the pipe in 2014, along the North Kaibab Trail with the water flowing down into Bright Angel Creek. The water pipeline is buried below the surface of the trail in this area. (Photo credit: NPS)

GRAND CANYON, Ariz.— The National Park Service (NPS) is beginning civic engagement to seek public input on proposed improvements to the water system at the North Rim and inner canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. Public comments will be accepted from June 22 until midnight, July 5, 2023, and used to refine the project proposal.

The water system improvements are part of a proposed Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund project called Rehabilitate the North Rim and Roaring Springs Utility Systems. The North Rim water system improvements would result in a reliable water system to meet supply needs at the North Rim and in the cross canyon corridor from Supai Tunnel to Cottonwood Campground for a projected lifespan of up to 75 years. The improvements are needed because the existing North Rim water system is past its design life resulting in frequent failures with extended periods of service outages that require continual repairs in a hazardous environment.

The proposed improvements being considered include​:

• Rehabilitating/replacing the waterline from the North Rim to the Roaring Springs water source
• Constructing a new water treatment plant on the North Rim
• Constructing additional water tanks on the North Rim and at the Roaring Springs pumphouse
• Rehabilitating the Roaring Springs pumphouse
• Installing a new borehole for the waterline

For more details and to submit comments, visit the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NorthRimWaterSystem and click on “Open for Comment.” During the comment period, any individual or group can submit comments electronically through the PEPC project website, the preferred method for submitting comments. Comment by mail will also be accepted at: 

Grand Canyon National Park
Attn: Planning, Environment, and Projects
P.O. Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ, 86023

All comments are public records and may be made publicly available at any time to include personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other information included in comment submissions.

The full scope of the Rehabilitate the North Rim and Roaring Springs Utility Systems program includes improvements to the electrical, wastewater, communications, and water distribution systems located at the North Rim which are critical to remote site operations. The systems are in an advanced state of deterioration, which will continue to accelerate over time. Numerous power outages and water pipeline breaks have occurred over the last few years due to the age and deteriorated condition of these systems, which lack the capacity to consistently provide power, collect and treat wastewater, and deliver potable water.