Steam Stacks

If you've ever been to NYC, you've probably come across one of these steam stacks. And you've probably wondered where the steam came from.

Same here. Turns out, the steam is a by-product of cooling a powerplant. Instead of letting it go to waste, ConEd delivers it via an underground network of pipes to buildings in Manhattan for heating, operating laundries, and sterilization in hospitals.

Once in a while, a valve breaks causing leaks. When that happens, stacks are placed over the man hole covers to channel it upwards so it doesn't block driver's views.

This gif is a part of an ongoing project where I document some of my memorable moments of living in NYC.