Fat Pencil Studio is a visual presentation company.
Out of sight, out of mind. For better or worse, it’s often the case. Consider, for example, the underground systems of a city: the electrical, gas, water, and sewer lines that power, hydrate, and, er, relieve our lives. Tucked away below the grid of streets and sidewalks, they are easily taken for granted by urban dwellers. Yet the systems are strongly linked with the health of the city.
Portland, like most older US cities, is working to clean up combined sewer overflow (CSO) pollution. During heavy rains, it is possible for the combined flow of storm water and untreated sewage to surpass the capacity of older pipes, causing an overflow into the Willamette River. The infrastructure needed to solve the problem is underground and not easily understood by the ratepayers footing the bill.