The Grand Canyon is facing an unexpected crisis: the only water main has collapsed, leading to cancelled overnight stays during peak season.

Hotels in the area have canceled their reservations due to a lack of supplies. Water is not being pumped to either the southern or northern edges of the 4,600 square kilometer area.

The park’s main water source, a 20-kilometer-long pipeline, collapsed after a series of failures since July. The infrastructure, built in the 1960s, has been plagued by problems since 2010, with up to 85 separate ruptures occurring during that time.

With temperatures rising above 33°C at this time of year, authorities say there is little else they can do to ensure the safety of visitors.

Water restrictions are in place during Labor Day, impacting hotels that are normally at full capacity.

Level 4 water restrictions apply to the region, with authorities urging residents to shower for less than five minutes at a time, do only select loads of laundry and not refill their swimming pools.

As a result, overnight stays at major lodges such as El Tovar and Bright Angel Lodge are now cancelled.

The park continued to have problems with its water supply throughout the summer.

A breach on August 20 prompted park authorities to take immediate protective measures, particularly on the south rim.

“Effective immediately, more stringent water restrictions and protections will be gradually implemented on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park due to a new breach in the Transcanyon Waterline. Interim water protection measures will be initiated on the North Rim,” the National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement.

Hikers are advised to carry as much water as possible on their trips.

Heidi Zahner Younts of Iowa City, Iowa, posted on the park’s Facebook page Wednesday that she and her daughter had planned “the trip of a lifetime” for the weekend, expressing disappointment and calling the situation sad.

Fortunately, by the evening, Younts had managed to book another hotel outside the park. She added that she hoped the water restrictions would lead to “less traffic and people.”

These actions are critical to the safety and sustainability of water resources and the goal is to restore full operational status for overnight guests at the South Rim as quickly as possible.

There have been more than 85 major ruptures in the pipeline since 2010, but none as serious as the one this summer.

Despite the restrictions, day visits to the park are still permitted. Hotels outside the park in Tusayan remain unaffected.

The timing of the pipeline failure is a severe blow to tourism in the region.

Josh Coddington of the Arizona Office of Tourism expects an increase in calls from concerned tourists.

The perception that there are restrictions on the park could harm the local economy in nearby cities like Flagstaff and Williams.

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

Park officials are working to restart operations as quickly as possible, but the repair process is complicated by the fact that the pipeline is located in a narrow, dangerous section of the canyon.

A $208 million water main rehabilitation project is currently underway, but full modernization is not expected until 2027.

The park’s goal is to meet the water needs of 6 million visitors and 2,500 residents who live in the park year-round.

This article contains reports from The Associated Press