Grand Canyon National Park is initiating water conservation measures for the South Rim, including Desert View, from Monday through November 18 for scheduled construction at the Indian Garden South pump house.

The scheduled construction work will enable crews to install pipes for the use of a temporary pump at the South pump house, which will provide a backup pump during the Indian Garden North pump house replacement project.

The Indian Garden North pump house replacement project began September 23, and is to continue into May 2020. The project is replacing 1960s era pumps that provide water to the South Rim to increase water supply reliability and pumping efficiency as park visitation grows and water demand increases. Outages from the pumps have contributed to multiple park-wide conservation restrictions over the past five years.

Water conservation measures in effect are:

* No car or bus washing

* No watering of lawns or plants

* Utilizing low-water cleaning techniques

* Reducing shower times and turning water off while brushing teeth

* Drinking water at restaurants will be provided by request

Within the inner canyon, water services at Indian Garden will be unavailable. Water service stations also unavailable due to seasonal closures are: Cottonwood Campground, North Kaibab Trailhead, Plateau Point, Supai Tunnel, and the Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile Resthouses.

Hikers in the backcountry should plan to carry all their water and have methods to treat water.