PHOTOGRAPHER: Erika Murphy is a licensed civil engineer and amateur photographer. She is currently a Project Engineer for the City of Hillsboro, OR, Water Department. She has lived in Portland, Ore., for 15 years, except for a two-year stint as a civil engineer in Townsville, Australia, where she had an opportunity to explore Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
Second Place Photo:
New Orleans water meter covers have a beautiful design that represents the Crescent City well! This design is so popular that it has become the logo for our Sewerage and Water Board, the entity that operates and maintains the water, sewer and major portions of the drainage system for New Orleans. The design is a favorite subject of local artists and can be seen throughout the city on different items such as clock faces, coasters, key chains, T-shirts, and necklaces. New Orleanians are proud of our water meter covers!
I took this picture while on a site visit in the Lakeview area of New Orleans where my company is working on a water line replacement project. I was reviewing the location of water meters along a water line to be replaced and this cover caught my attention for a few reasons. As this design has gained popularity throughout the city, some covers have gone missing and are replaced with plain covers adorned only with the words "WATER METER." Seeing one of our beautiful covers is always of interest to me, a kind of treasure hunt for a civil engineer! I thought this one in particular had a nice look, as the blue paint (most likely painted by an operator to make the cover easy to find) has a weathered look, but the detail of the cover is still clear.