The Waterworks

Role in the City

The Waterworks is where almost all clean water in New Vance City comes from. Water is pulled from poisoned ground and runoff, cleaned, stored, and sent through pipes to the rest of the city. Before the Collapse, this place was public infrastructure. Now it is the center of the Hydro Hegemony’s power. If the Waterworks shuts down, most of the city runs out of drinkable water within days.

The Hydro Hegemony claims it exists to serve everyone. Its signs promise clean water for all. This is not true. Water is treated as property, not a right. People drink only if they pay, submit, or stay useful. The Hegemony decides who gets water and who does not, and it uses paperwork, fees, and inspections to enforce that control.

Valve leads the Waterworks. He used to be a plumber. He survived the chaos after the Collapse by fixing pipes no one else could fix, then charging heavily for it. Over time, he learned every major pipe and valve in the city. Now he can shut off an entire block in a single day, or flood a hideout through its own taps. He does not give speeches or hold rallies. People obey him because all water passes through his hands.

Because of this, the Waterworks is not just another district. It has power over every faction in the city. The Citadel needs water for hospitals and housing. The Solar Sprawl needs water for crops and cooling systems. Fighters on the perimeter need water to survive. Even smugglers rely on stolen or diverted supply. Everyone deals with Valve, whether they admit it or not.

Layout of the Waterworks

The Waterworks sits in a wide basin of concrete and steel. At its center are tall purification towers built before the Collapse and reinforced after it. These towers pull in dirty water and run it through filters and chemical treatments. What comes out is clean enough to drink by the city’s standards.

Around the towers are open tanks and sealed underground reservoirs. Many exposed tanks are stained with algae and minerals, but they still work. Beneath the streets, the reservoirs connect to long chambers and narrow channels. Tunnels, valve rooms, and control spaces branch out in all directions. Over the years, the Hegemony added new pipes, secret routes, and cutoff points until the whole district became a buried machine.

On the surface, most people only see water kiosks and public taps. Each kiosk is a reinforced booth with filters and valves. People scan an ID, token, or payment chip. The system releases a fixed amount of water into approved containers. Workers explain the rules calmly. Armed guards stand nearby to stop fights and prevent tampering.

Deeper inside the district, the mood changes. Walkways and catwalks run along the upper levels of the towers. Armed enforcers patrol these paths and watch each other as closely as they watch the equipment. Below them, crews repair pipes, clear blockages, and seal leaks. Some areas labeled “under maintenance” are not repair sites at all. They are rooms used for questioning, holding prisoners, or disposing of bodies. Official maps do not show these places.

From the central plant, large pipes run under the city. Smaller stations boost pressure and direct flow into neighborhoods and major facilities. Each station has a room where workers can shut off streets, lower supply, or flood local systems. While some controls are automated, the Hegemony prefers hands-on control at key points. That ensures power stays with people loyal to Valve.

How the Hydro Hegemony Rules

The Hydro Hegemony is built like a strict hierarchy. Valve sits at the top with a small group he trusts. Below them are managers in charge of cleaning water, moving it, guarding it, collecting payment, and managing public-facing operations. Beneath them are local overseers who watch taps, kiosks, and neighborhoods.

Publicly, the Hegemony claims it treats everyone the same. It says water is not political. In reality, loyalty decides everything. Friendly districts get leniency and steady flow. Problem areas face sudden shortages or constant repairs. A neighborhood that shelters rebels may wake up to dry taps. A loyal block may get extra water during heat waves while others wait.

Valve avoids public trials. Instead, he uses the system itself to punish people. Miss a payment, and your account is flagged. Tap water illegally, and inspectors arrive with fines and confiscations. Cause trouble, and you are called in for a review. Some people never come back. Those who do return are careful and quiet.

Enforcers keep this system running. They do not act like raiders or street gangs. They patrol in formation and follow strict orders. They guard tanks, kiosks, and control rooms. They escort convoys and protect repair crews in dangerous areas. Their job is not just defense. Their job is to remind people that water only flows with permission.

Paperwork hides much of this control. Every request for water access, permits, or emergency supply passes through layers of forms and fees. This lets Valve reward cooperation and punish resistance without open violence. When a request is denied, it looks like a clerical issue, not an attack.

Daily Life Under Water Control

For most citizens, the Waterworks is both necessary and frightening. People line up at kiosks with containers and ration cards. They wait under watch. Families with steady work and clean records usually get enough water. Families with debts or political ties often face reduced supply or sudden inspections.

Workers inside the district live in basic housing blocks. Many are technicians, cleaners, pipe workers, or chemists. Their pay is low, but they get better water access than most. In return, their lives are tightly controlled. Leaving the district without permission can cost them their job. Sharing maps, codes, or system details is forbidden.

Work follows a strict routine. Shifts start with safety briefings. Crews rotate between towers, tunnels, and kiosks. Training covers repairs and security alike. Everyone is taught that leaks are dangerous, whether they are water leaks or loose talk. Speaking out is risky. Staying silent in the wrong place can be just as dangerous.

Clean water has become a status symbol. Citadel leaders serve it openly during meetings to show favor from the Hegemony. Black Market sellers trade bottled surplus at high prices. Some gangs pour water onto the ground in front of rivals as a show of power. The Hegemony notices these acts and adjusts supply routes accordingly.

In poor districts, water delivery is tense. Guarded tanker trucks arrive and set up temporary taps. Crowds gather, hoping their block is included. Extra water after a crisis feels like mercy. Cutbacks after protests feel like punishment. Either way, the message is clear: survival depends on the pipes and the people who control them.

Relations With Other Factions

The Waterworks affects every major faction in New Vance City. The Citadel Council depends on steady water for its towers and clinics. Officially, the Council and the Hegemony cooperate. In practice, both sides watch each other closely. The Council wants oversight. The Hegemony protects its control points.

The Solar Guardians rely on water for crops and cooling systems but distrust Valve’s pricing and pressure tactics. Valve, in turn, sees the Solar Sprawl’s independence as a threat. He prefers clients who cannot function without him.

The Perimeter Watch struggles to get enough water to frontline units. Supplies must travel far from the central pipes, often through dangerous areas. Requests for more support are often delayed or denied while water stays closer to the city core.

The Shadow Syndicate steals water through bribery and illegal taps. Smugglers reroute small flows into hidden tanks and sell them at high prices. The Hegemony responds quietly. Workers vanish. Meters change. Sections collapse during “accidents.”

Raiders rarely attack the central Waterworks. The defenses are strong, and damaging it could ruin the prize. Instead, they hit convoys, minor stations, and exposed kiosks. When raids succeed, entire neighborhoods suffer. When they fail, the Hegemony uses them to justify tighter control.