By making visible the mussels’ incredible capability to filter the river, Freshwater is a public fountain that elevates these endangered native species’ role in restoring the blue infrastructure from collapsing. Juxtaposed next to the polluted river water pumped from Philadelphia’s Cherry Street Pier and the vast amount of unused vintage pearl buttons produced as a consequence of overconsumption, the project is an urgent call to care for the freshwater mussels as vital to our healthy, living ecology and our drinking water.