Emptying Boston’s manholes

A white utility truck. A generator humming nearby. A cordon of orange cones. An open manhole, steam dancing like campfire smoke. It’s a familiar tableau, repeated day and night on Boston streets. If you’re like me, you’ve wondered: What is in those manholes anyway? And what’s with the steam? It turns out there’s a labyrinth of steam pipes underneath the city–17 miles worth, actually.