How the 9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pools Are Deep Cleaned | Deep Cleaned | Insider

That's Jim. He cleans the reflecting pools at the 9/11 memorial in New York. Jim and his team worked under the 27-foot waterfall in almost complete darkness, draining every inch of the pool. Their goal is to do that without missing a single spot. It’s physically demanding work, but that's not the only challenge. Jimmy:

I've never really said exactly how many miles it is, but you walk a few miles in it, and it can get wet, and you come out and you almost feel like you're walking on the moon. Narrator:

Each lake is nearly an acre in size, so it would take hours to complete the job before sunrise. While he worked inside the pool, other team members worked on the copper panels on the surface. These routine activities take place five days a week and are essential to keeping the memorial in top condition for the millions of people who come to pay their respects. They started by closing the waterfalls and for the next eight hours, Jim and his team worked tirelessly to deep clean this pool. Jimmy:

The hardest thing is that it's a long-term job. Large swimming pool. It is not a swimming pool. It's a giant 200 x 200 swimming pool. I'll remove the hose and bring it back. Ryan:

I have you. Jimmy:

You don't need to use the entire spool. We have too many pipes. We usually have three men in the pool, so two will be in the pool and one will be outside operating the pump, collecting debris and returning clean water to the pool. After settling down, we left. Usually, I vacuum it up and whoever is with me that night sweeps it up. Come in quickly. Ryan:

So sorry. Jimmy:

We don't have all day here. The vacuum cleaner will capture most of the debris and the sweeper will remove some of the other debris that can't be caught and it will be captured in some filters we have downstairs. Now I'm stuck in the pipe here. I'm about to trip and fall. And we're going on "America's Bloopers." Narrator:

Workers often clean dirt leaves and algae from the bottom of the swimming pool. They also remove larger items that visitors drop or throw away. They don't always know what they'll encounter at the pool each night. Jimmy:

There are children's toys and small objects. It depends on the crowd. One night I found a bat there. And I'm not talking about the baseball bat, I'm talking about the bat. It was bewildering as he walked away when I realized I was catching a bat. Depending on the cleanliness of the pool, this process can take six to seven hours. And sometimes, if we feel capable, we can do it a little faster. Some people consider this place as a wishing well. So, we're getting our money back, and unfortunately, I think some people, because it's so far away from 9/11, I think some people don't have enough information about this place, and some People consider it a simple fountain, and sometimes they also throw trash here. People need to understand that this is not your mall fountain. I know several dead brokers, a whole group unfortunately gathered in one of the towers and except for one trader, all perished. I often think about them because we climbed to the top.