Running Around Back Cove’s Hidden Pollution Solution

What lies beneath Portland’s Back Cove Trail?

In our newest video, join Friends of Casco Bay’s Meghan Vigeant on a run around Back Cove to uncover one of the city’s biggest efforts to protect the Bay: underground storage tanks and pipes that can hold up to 8 million gallons of stormwater and sewage during big rainstorms.

Along the way, you’ll hear from Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca and the City of Portland’s Senior Project Engineer Brad Roland about why these hidden systems matter, how they work, and what they mean for the health of Casco Bay.

With stops at Payson Park, the East End Waste Water Treatment Facility, and the brand-new Back Cove South Storage Facility, the video reveals how these underground structures help reduce sewage overflows, keeping pollution out of Casco Bay and buying time for the treatment plant to do its job.

It’s a story about running, resilience, and the buried infrastructure that’s making a difference for our waters.