Crews are drilling at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to test the idea of changing where water is drawn to serve millions of people at the South Rim. The park’s water supply comes from a natural spring that flows through 12.5 miles of aluminum pipeline, originally installed in 1960, that routinely breaks and leaks. Each repair costs an average of $25,000. Officials are now looking to water downstream in Bright Angel Creek before it enters the Colorado River which would eliminate 5 miles of pipeline that is most prone to breakages and preserve the lush spring environment. A helicopter flew in equipment this week to drill test and monitoring wells and the drill rig assembly should be completed early this week. Officials say the nearly $300,000 project is part of a larger study of how best to tackle the pipeline and ensure a consistent water supply for residents of Grand Canyon Village and the 6 million people who visit the national park each year.
