http://www.detroitthermal.com/
Fast-forward to the 2:00 mark to get a high-level overview:
Detroit Thermal provides many downtown and midtown businesses with steam energy that is used to heat buildings and water, as well as other functions too.
Here is a service map: http://www.detroitthermal.com/servic...vice_area.aspx
Here's another map:
Here's another map that better notes the transmission pressures: http://www.tvii.biz/detroit/LINKS/DT...450%20copy.jpg
The steam is transmitted under very high pressure through underground steam mains. Sometimes water will get into these pipes, and when that happens it causes a rapid expansion of the water and sometimes will cause scenes like this ConEd pipe in Manhattan:
I hope you find some of that interesting and helpful.
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