Solar Water Pumping

Clay Bravo, assistant director of the Natural Resources Department of the Hualapai Tribe has been working for six years to build what may be the world's largest solar water pumping project. Through the power of one great Hualapai resource, sunlight, the Hualapai are pumping water to another great resource, the Grand Canyon. With water at the Canyon rim, they will be able to develop a tourist enterprise that will bring income to the tribe, as well as deliver water to livestock and wildlife in the western half of the reservation.

Could you describe the history of the Hualapai solar water pumping project?

CB: The Hualapai Tribe has a tourist enterprise on the southwest edge of the Grand Canyon, "Grand Canyon West." Currently it is small, providing Hualapai-led tours of this end of the Canyon. The Hualapai wanted to expand this enterprise to become more economically self-sufficient, but we were limited by water. All potable water must be trucked in. The only ground - or surface - water was deep, three thousand feet down. To serve this tribal enterprise, we would eventually need 70 gallons of water/minute. The tribe starting thinking, what else can we do to get water out to the resort? I thought that maybe we could capture power from the sun to pump water from shallow aquifers 25 miles to the east.

How did you go from that first idea to the place where you are laying pipe and installing solar arrays?

CB: We talked to engineering and pumping firms to learn whether our idea might work. Then we started looking for funding. One of our goals was to not draw down the Hualapai General Fund, so we needed to find funding before proceeding with our plans. We received early funding from the Bureau of Reclamation, Drought Relief Program, the BIA Water Resources Program 638 for planning, and the Department of Energy, Title 26, for a pilot project. Finally, for this last leg, we have a 70/30 grant loan from the Department of Agricultural Rural Economic Development Program. This grant/loan of $390,000, is 70% grant, and 30% loan, which the Hualapai will pay back over 40 years. We also are receiving funds from the EPA and the Arizona Department of Water Quality to monitor the effects of water pumping on the watershed. We want to make sure that we are pumping water at a rate that is sustainable for the ecosystem.

What was the total cost of the project?

CB: The project costs come to $1,200,000. Operation and maintenance costs are much lower for solar water pumping than for diesel pumps or bringing in utility lines.

Could you describe the system?

CB: The well is about 500 feet deep and pumps 28 gallons/minute, and the pipeline is 26.5 miles long. There are solar arrays that track the sun at the well and at five relay stations along the pipeline. Each of the relay stations has a 5000 gallon storage tank. We will begin building a 250,000 gallon storage tank at the end of the line next week. Right now, we are testing the lines for leaks before we bury them. This project has been a Hualapai dream. After six years of planning and work, we should be filling the tank at the end of the line by April.

How many solar panels does it take to power the well pump and send the water to Grand Canyon West?

CB: The submersible pump in the well is powered by 12 panels of 70-watts each. Then the water is pumped up a mountain to a large holding tank. This is powered by 144 80-watt panels. The relay stations each have arrays of between 48 and 60 panels of 80-watts each. In all, we have installed 372 solar modules for a total of 29,640 watts.

What about the 70 gallons/minute that you project needing at Grand Canyon West?

CB: For now the 28 gallons/minute meets our needs, but we are looking at drilling a deep well closer to the resort in the future to provide for future needs.

Does the system provide water to any sites other than the resort?

CB: Yes, it is already being used to provide water for the Hualapai cattle herd and for wildlife. Lateral lines feed off the main pipeline to drinking troughs. The water is also available to any tribal members who want to move into the western half of the reservation and tap into the line to get potable drinking water.

How will you operate and maintain the system?

CB: Two of our tribal employees were trained by the pump and solar installers during the installation process. Also, it's important to note that Hualapai have been very involved in the project, building the pipeline and tanks, and assisting with installation.

Are there any other ways the tribe is using solar power or other renewables?

CB: Yes, there are three other solar powered water pumps and one windmill serving livestock on the reser-vation. The resort uses a hybrid wind/PV system for electricity, and the tribe built an earthship with an EPA grant, using tires, earth, and solar power.

Do you have any suggestions for anyone contemplating a solar water project?

CB: My advice is to do it. The initial cost is high but it's worth it in the long run. The sun is free and the power is clean.

Clay Bravo can be reached at 520-769-2255, Fax: 520-769-2309

Department of Natural Resources
Hualapai Tribe
P.O. Box 300
Peach Springs, AZ 86434

-Vivian Gratton