Death Valley launches $69.5M overhaul of aging water, sewer systems

A nearly $70 million project will modernize aging water systems and wastewater infrastructure in Death Valley National Park.

The park officially launched the Furnace Creek Water Systems Rehabilitation Project during a groundbreaking event in late October.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks a turning point for Death Valley National Park,” Death Valley Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement.

“For years, park staff have repeatedly repaired these aging pipes and wells, providing emergency service in some of the most extreme conditions in North America,” Reynolds said. “Thanks to the Legacy Restoration Fund, we can stop patching these critical systems and start rebuilding them.”

The $69.5 million project — which will help provide reliable water and sanitation for park visitors, employees, The Oasis at Death Valley and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe — is funded through the Legacy Restoration Fund, part of the Great American Outdoors Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2020.

The project will take three years to complete and also include deferred maintenance and work to improve the reliability of essential services.

Park officials said the work will aid surrounding communities that rely on dependable park operations and tourism. In 2024, visitors spent an estimated $146 million in gateway communities, supporting about 1,343 local jobs and producing $191 million in total economic output.

The project will replace a water treatment plant building at Cow Creek, rehabilitate a water treatment plant at Furnace Creek and upgrade both plants’ shared wastewater treatment facility. Upgrades to the park’s wastewater treatment ponds, modernization of local sewage lift stations, new water wells and the replacement of more than 30 miles of water and sewer pipeline are included in the work.

Several parts of Death Valley’s existing utility systems date back to the 1960s, which the Park Service describes as well past their intended service life, noting that intense desert conditions have sped up the deterioration of pipelines, valves and other infrastructure.

Failures of utility systems in the last few years have resulted in boil water advisories, periodic outages, temporary campground closures and sewage spills.

The park service stated in an Oct. 22 press release that the project’s construction will be carried out in phases to lessen disruptions to Death Valley’s operations and visitors. Brief, localized water outages and reductions in temporary parking may happen during this construction.

Any service changes or closures will be shared on the Death Valley website at nps.gov/deva.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at [email protected].