On Saturday, the Ballard Library will host Stokley Towles' "Stormwater: Life in the Gutter", a one-man performance that uncovers the world of urban rainfall and traces its travels from the clouds to the city’s streets, homes and businesses and the sewer lines below.

Towles’ nearly one-hour piece is part performance, part exhibition offering a gutter’s eye view of Seattle’s drainage system and the Seattle Public Utilities’ employees who guide, monitor and maintain stormwater flow in the city.

Meet Ellen, a gutter detective. Find out what a floating river is and meet James who observes them. Learn about John’s trips into the bowels of the city and what he finds there. Ponder whether beavers should be on the city’s payroll. Discover who tracks toxins before they poison Lake Union.

Towles weaves interviews, observations and historical research together with images and props to talk about runoff in a humorous and illuminating fashion, revealing the world of drainage and stormwater and the people who manage its flow.

The performance is free and open to the public and will take place this Saturday, Nov. 5, at noon at the Ballard Library, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W.