The Waterworks

Role in New Vance City

The Waterworks is the main water hub of New Vance City. It is where almost all safe water is drawn, purified, stored, and pushed into the pipe network. Before the Collapse it was a civic landmark. Now it is the core of the Hydro Hegemony’s power. If the Waterworks stops, most of the city runs dry in days.

The Hydro Hegemony presents itself as a public utility. Its banners and kiosks promise “Water for All.” The reality matches the lore in the city record: water is a controlled resource, not a shared right. People do not drink unless their payments, papers, or favors are in order. The Hegemony uses forms, fees, and “maintenance actions” to decide who receives clean water and who does not.

Valve sits at the top of this structure. He is an ex-plumber who knows every major trunk line and pressure node. He rose during the chaos by fixing what others could not and then charging for it. Now he can cut supply to an entire block in a day or flood a safehouse through its own taps. He does not need rallies or speeches. His authority comes from the simple fact that every major pipe runs through his district.

Because of this, the Waterworks is not just another district. It is leverage over every other faction. The Citadel needs stable flow for its clinics and housing. The Solar Sprawl needs feed lines for its farms and coolant systems. The Perimeter Outskirts needs water for its fighters. Even the Black Market depends on stolen or diverted supply. Everyone negotiates with Valve, whether they admit it or not.

Layout, Facilities, and Pipe Network

The Waterworks district sits in a broad basin of concrete and steel. At its center stand tall purification towers built before the Collapse and reinforced after it. These towers draw in poisoned groundwater and surface runoff. They push it through filters, chemical baths, and pressure systems. The result is water that is safe to drink by the city’s current standards.

Around these towers are open reservoirs and sealed cisterns. Many of the exposed tanks are coated in algae and mineral stains, but their internal systems still function. Below street level, cisterns form a maze of chambers and channels. Service tunnels, valve rooms, and control galleries branch off in every direction. Over time, the Hegemony has added new pipes, bypasses, and hidden gates until the whole district resembles a buried machine.

On the surface, citizens see clean-water kiosks and public taps. Each kiosk is a hardened booth with filters, valves, and a ration terminal. People scan an ID, a work token, or a payment chip. The system dispenses a set amount of water into approved containers. Uniformed attendants stand nearby and explain rules with practiced smiles. Behind them, armed guards watch crowds and check for tampering.

Deeper inside the district, the tone changes. Security catwalks crisscross the upper levels of the towers. Armed enforcers in blue-black armor patrol these routes. They watch the tanks, the gauges, and each other. Maintenance crews move beneath them, checking seals and clearing blockages. In some wings, “maintenance” has another meaning. These areas hold interrogation rooms, detention pits, and hidden dumping shafts. Official maps list them as closed for repairs.

From the central plant, thick mains run outward under the city. Secondary nodes and booster stations push flow into neighborhoods and major facilities. Each node has a control room that can adjust pressure, shut off a street, or overfill a local system. Remote systems can handle basic changes, but the Hegemony prefers manual control at key points. That keeps power in human hands, not in code.

Hydro Hegemony Rule and Valve’s Methods

The Hydro Hegemony is built on layers of control. At the top is Valve and a small circle of trusted planners. Below them are division heads who manage purification, distribution, security, finance, and public outreach. Field structure falls to “pipe marshals,” “tap wardens,” and “ration clerks” who each oversee a section or function.

Publicly, the Hegemony claims to be neutral. It states that water is separate from politics and that all factions must pay the same. In practice, they follow the lore’s clear pattern: friends receive flexible terms, enemies face “technical issues.” A neighborhood that shelters raiders or rebels may wake up to dry taps and “emergency repairs.” A loyal block can see extra flow during heat waves while nearby streets wait.

Valve prefers to act through systems rather than public trials. A person who refuses a fee may find their ration account flagged. A workshop that leaks water from illegal taps may suffer sudden inspections, fines, and confiscation. Groups that resist or reveal fraud may be called to “maintenance review.” Many do not return. The rest come back quiet and careful.

Enforcers back this structure. They do not behave like raiders or street gangs. They move in organized patrols with clear rules of engagement. They guard tank farms, kiosks, and control rooms. They escort major water convoys and protect repair crews in high-risk zones. Their main job is to keep the water moving and the population compliant.

The Hegemony also runs a full bureaucracy. Ration tiers, industrial permits, and emergency grants all flow through stacked offices. Each request generates forms, checks, and fees. This system allows Valve to reward cooperation, punish resistance, and hide many decisions under paperwork. A denied request looks like a clerical error, not an attack.

Life Under Water Control

For ordinary citizens, the Waterworks is both a lifeline and a threat. People line up at kiosks with containers and ration cards. They wait their turn under watchful eyes. A family with steady work and no trouble history can expect a stable supply. A family with debts, political ties, or past violations may see lower quotas or surprise audits.

Inside the district, workers live in utilitarian housing blocks. Many are technicians, cleaners, pipe fitters, or chemists who keep the system running. Their pay is modest, but their water access is better than most. They also face stricter rules. Leaving the district without approval can risk their post. Talking about internal maps, valve codes, or tank levels is forbidden.

Life follows a fixed routine. Shifts begin with safety checks and briefings. Workers rotate between towers, cisterns, and kiosk runs. Training covers both technical skills and security procedures. Everyone learns that leaks, literal or social, are dangerous. Whistleblowing carries high risk. So does silence in the wrong room at the wrong time.

Hydration itself has become a mark of status. Clean water is served at Citadel meetings and faction councils as a quiet sign of Hegemony support. Bottled surplus appears in the Black Market at high prices. Some gangs and crews show off by pouring water on the ground in front of rivals. Rumors say that the Hegemony tracks those displays and adjusts supply routes in response.

For people in poor districts, interactions with the Waterworks are often tense. Mobile tanker trucks roll in under guard and set up temporary taps. Locals crowd around, hoping their block is on the list. Emergency flow after an outbreak or raid can feel like mercy. Cutbacks after a protest can feel like punishment. Either way, the message is clear: survival depends on the pipes and on the people who control them.

Faction Relations

The Waterworks touches every major faction in New Vance City. The Citadel Council relies on stable supply for its towers, clinics, and sealed housing. Officially, Council and Hegemony are partners in the Accord. In reality, each side tries to keep the other from gaining full leverage. The Council tracks usage data and pushes for oversight. The Hegemony guards its valves and books.

The Solar Guardians respect the Waterworks but do not trust its leadership. Their solar farms and cooling systems need water. At the same time, they see the Hegemony’s price schemes as reckless. In turn, Valve views the Solar Sprawl’s independent power as a risk. He prefers clients who cannot function without his goodwill.

The Perimeter Watch often clashes with Hegemony logistics. Frontline units need water on the edges of the city, far from main trunks. Moving that supply is costly and dangerous. When Watch captains request more support, they may hear about “limited capacity” or “temporary shortages” while tankers stay closer to the core.

The Shadow Syndicate uses leaks and stolen access for profit. Its agents bribe low-level workers, tap minor lines, and redirect small flows into hidden cisterns. Black Market stalls sell this extra water under heavy markups. The Hegemony responds with quiet purges, new meter schemes, and occasional “accidents” that bury suspected informants under mud and steel.

Raiders and Gear Rats rarely attack the central Waterworks. Its defenses are heavy, and damage there could poison or destroy the prize. Instead, they target convoy routes, secondary nodes, and exposed kiosks. When these raids succeed, whole blocks suffer. When they fail, the Hegemony uses the event to justify tighter rules and stronger patrols.