GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona (AP) — The main pipeline that supplies water to Grand Canyon National Park has failed after a series of breaks, causing a sudden and widespread shutdown of hotel stays during one of the busiest times of year for the famous tourist destination.

Water restrictions will be in place throughout the Labor Day holiday, when hotels will be near or at full capacity. That’s an unprecedented result, even for a pipeline that has a long history of frequent outages.

The 12.5-mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, originally built in the 1960s, supplies drinking water to facilities on the South Rim and in the inner canyon. Park officials say the line has exceeded its expected lifespan and that there have been more than 85 major breaks since 2010, each of which has cut off the water supply.

But four recent major breaches have shut down overnight accommodations, including at El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge and Phantom Ranch. Since July 8, officials said, the park has been experiencing water problems and water is currently not being pumped to either the south or north rims of the canyon.

Hotels outside the park in the town of Tusayan, Arizona, are not affected. The park will remain open during the day, as will the Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim and other visitor services at the North Rim.

Heidi Zahner Younts of Iowa City, Iowa, wrote in a comment on the park’s Facebook page on Wednesday that she had planned “the trip of a lifetime” with her daughter for the weekend and called the situation sad.

However, on Wednesday evening, she told The Associated Press via Facebook message that she was able to book another hotel outside the park, saying she hoped the water restrictions would mean “less traffic and people.”

Known for its vast desert landscapes, the Grand Canyon welcomed nearly 523,000 visitors last August and more than 466,000 visitors last September.

Josh Coddington, communications director for the Arizona Office of Tourism, said he expects an increase in calls from people wanting to know if they can visit the Grand Canyon.

“The Grand Canyon is known not only in the United States but all over the world and people like to visit it,” he said.

While the park is not completely closed, the perception that it is could have a negative impact on the towns and communities where tourists stay, shop and eat on their way to the canyon, including Flagstaff, Williams and Tusayan on the south side and Cameron on the east side.

Park management hopes to fully resume operations for overnight guests at the South Rim as soon as possible.

In the meantime, due to current water restrictions, authorities are asking residents and visitors to help conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off the tap when shaving or brushing teeth, using the toilet flush selectively and only washing clothes with full loads.

Making the restoration work even more difficult is that the fractures occurred in a narrow part of the canyon known as the “Box,” an area at high risk of rock falls and with high temperatures at this time of year.

“It’s definitely a challenge when a pipeline breaks,” said Grand Canyon spokeswoman Joelle Baird, citing safety concerns for the teams tasked with repairing the damage.

The National Park Service recently began a $208 million renovation of the aqueduct and modernization of the associated water supply system, which is expected to be completed in 2027.

The park aims to meet the water needs of six million annual visitors and about 2,500 year-round residents, officials said.

___

Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press journalists Walter Berry in Phoenix, Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this report.