Hazards
Recent and frequent heavy precipitation events have resulted in devastating impacts on many rural communities and provide real-world examples of how waterways and infrastructure are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather. This sweater is a representation of the Rochester embayment and infrastructure identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as vulnerable to extreme weather including the total number of underground pollutant storage tanks (335; bobbles) and permitted dischargers (31; colored squares) within the Genesee River watershed. During a flood, underground storage tanks (UST) can become damaged and release their contents into the surrounding environment, contaminating soil, surface and groundwater resources. Permitted dischargers are entities authorized under the Clean Water Act to discharge pollutants from a point source into waters of the US. The EPA is working with permittees to implement measures to adapt to climate change to mitigate the effects of extreme weather.
This piece was created in association with a short-term artist residency supported by the Institute for Human Health and the Environment at the University of Rochester in which we used Wool and Water to explore the connections between water and human health.
More details available here on Ravelry.