Steamr, 2009
Next Project →Many buildings in Manhattan (including the Metropolitain Museum of Art and the Empire State Building) are heated and cooled by an antediluvian system of steam pipes owned and operated by Consolidated Edison. The system contains approximately 105 miles of mains and service pipes and 3,000 steam manholes, and the image of steam escaping from manholes is part of the iconography of the city.
[photos: La Mariposa + xpressbus]
Yet leaking steam signals problems below street level (ConEd even provides a toll-free number for the public to report leaks: 1-800-75-CONED) and can even cause serious burns to pedestrians.
In response, Publicworks Office developed Steamr, a free iPhone application that allows users to take a snapshot of leaking steam and automatically sends it with a geolocated report to ConEd. While not all steam signals a threat (cold weather can also affect sewers, causing steam to pass through grates at street level), the image allows ConEd to gauge the credibility of the report.
Publicworks Office also created a supporting website to provide information about the issue and the reporting process.
Steamr was decomissioned in 2010. Many cities now operate similar mobile-enabled “311″ platforms, and private services providers such as See-Click-Fix have emerged to provide comprehensive digital reporting products.