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Sewer Diving | National Geographic


they’re the bowels of one of the world’s
largest and most polluted cities where
disease runs rampant
and the stench is sickening human
excrement toxic waste
rotting cadavers all flowing right
beneath the sidewalk the sewers of
Mexico City are as disgusting as any on
earth but this man Carlos Barrios has
just given up a comfortable desk job for
the opportunity to swim in milk it’s
three o’clock in the afternoon and
Carlos is pulling a dead dog out of the
sewer he’s making sure that the
wastewater of Mexico City stays where it
belongs we pull up all the things you
can imagine you can see chairs cars all
kind of waste anything you like isn’t
missing the drains located in a massive
basin Mexico City is a crowded
industrial Colossus its sewer lines
stretch for thousands of miles
some following channels dug by the
Aztecs the sewers are severely overtaxed
not only must they accommodate runoff
from the mountains but also the wastes
from the toilets and sinks of 19 million
people the slightest blockage can send
sewage flowing into the streets and
Subway’s or worse into the homes of
thousands at age 45 Carlos decided to
leave his job at the
join the team that heaps the sewers
blowing I have worked for the city about
24 years when I get bored of the office
job the opportunity came for me to dive
in I took him it was a great change for
me I changed my life completely back at
the base
the team receives an emergency call the
equipo pumping plan has a mysterious
blockage and it needs to be cleared
immediately once again be calm and
careful
if anything happens don’t despair I’ll
be the one to make decisions we will be
very safe is Carlos’s life so we will be
careful Carlos has no idea what to
expect
star cluster
[Music]
confusion can be done Carlos tries not
to think about the super bacteria he’s
swimming in including tetanus typhoid
and cholera his super Texan what it is
an honor a sharp puncture could wreak
havoc it is at this cut and you could
our skin also you have to get to the
hospital because of the environment is
very contaminated after a half hour sir
Carlos locates the obstruction there is
a metallic object I’m going to touch it
to see what it is
Roger absorption turns out to be a rusty
wheel from an old sewage pool once
they’ve located it a teeming Swift work
for the problem it’s been a successful
mission for Carlos but before he can
undress we must be washed and scrubbed
down
in his new job Carlos has found a new
sense of purpose I feel like I’ll be
someone who makes people live better
with infinite amounts of sewage 2/10 you
Carlos has got plenty to keep him busy
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