D&D General A Question about Waterdeep - Where does the Drinking Water come from?

[Zardnaar]

Here in Auckland, we have old stream beds that got covered by lava from some of our 50+ volcanoes.

When it rains, the water drains through the porous basalt and finds some of these old buried stream beds. When it gets near the coast, where the seawater has penetrated the groundwater, the rainwater gets pushed up and and forms freshwater springs.

One such spring was partially dammed to create a lake surrounded by a public park (see Western Springs).

Build a city on volcano field. What could go wrong?

 

[Tonguez]

Mount Waterdeep upon which the Castle ward sits contains a large freshwater spring, the water once flowed down to the sea but was redirected by the dwarfs into cistern caverns beneath the city which now feed into the sewer system and wells.

Sargauth is the underground river in the Undercity

Others collect rain water from the Cliffs

 

[Hussar]

Mount Waterdeep upon which the Castle ward sits contains a large freshwater spring, the water once flowed down to the sea but was redirected by the dwarfs into cistern caverns beneath the city which now feed into the sewer system and wells.

Sargauth is the underground river in the Undercity

Others collect rain water from the Cliffs

True, but, how exactly does one get the water from Sargath - through 18 (ish) levels of the Undermountain - to Waterdeep? And, honestly, would you actually drink the water that is under the control of all those monsters? Never minding that the first level of Undermountain is a 140 feet below the Yawning Portal. Figure that you've got about 20 feet (at the very, very least) between each layer, and Sargauth is probably about 500 feet (minimum) below the surface of Waterdeep.

You're not drawing water from that.

It kinda is, though. It's right between the north and all of its resources and the south(Amn, etc) with it's riches. There's also the heartlands to the east so it's located in the middle of three wealthy sections of the Realms AND has a port.

Make one! Snap your fingers and create a bridge.

It's really a great setting. I've been running 95% of my games in it since 1e.

But, therein lies the issue. There is no way to get good from Waterdeep east to the Heartlands. There's no waterway. Baldur's Gate makes much more sense since you have a massive waterway running from the coast, thousands of miles right into the Heartlands. The Dessarin River is miles from Waterdeep. Basically, all the trade goes north and south. And since you can't really go east from Waterdeep, why would you bother with it?

It's one of those things where the map was pretty obviously created without really thinking too much about how it works. Which is fine. Just mildly annoying from time to time if you start scratching below the surface.

 

[Oofta]

Fantasy people only need about 1 cup of water a day. When was the last time you saw adventurers heading out with three wagons of water kegs? When was the last time you saw them urinate?

I don't know about you, but I respect the privacy of my adventurers and give them some privacy in the loo.

 

[Maxperson]

But, therein lies the issue. There is no way to get good from Waterdeep east to the Heartlands. There's no waterway. Baldur's Gate makes much more sense since you have a massive waterway running from the coast, thousands of miles right into the Heartlands. The Dessarin River is miles from Waterdeep. Basically, all the trade goes north and south. And since you can't really go east from Waterdeep, why would you bother with it?

Historically a lot of merchanting did not go by waterway. Caravans were a major way of getting goods from place to place between Europe and East Asia. Caravans would likely cut east along the road that goes from Daggerford just south of Waterdeep and cuts through the Anauroch heading for Zhentil Keep, and then south to the Dale Lands, Corymy and Sembia. Waterdeep not only had positioning between three major regions, but it also had one of the three major spelljamming ports in the Realms. Calimport and a city in Kara Tur being the other two.

It may not be perfect, but for me it's good enough to not spend time puzzling over it.

 

[Autumnal]

*Approximately. The density of water varies a little with salinity and temperature.

More fantasy worlds need haloclines!

Also, I’ve just realized that this whole thread is about life in a northern town, and then an earworm ate my brain.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

More fantasy worlds need haloclines!

Also, I’ve just realized that this whole thread is about life in a northern town, and then an earworm ate my brain.

Don't know the song, but was that Ilkley Moor at the start?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

But, therein lies the issue. There is no way to get good from Waterdeep east to the Heartlands.

You know roads have always been used to move trade goods, right?

There's no waterway. Baldur's Gate makes much more sense since you have a massive waterway running from the coast, thousands of miles right into the Heartlands. The Dessarin River is miles from Waterdeep. Basically, all the trade goes north and south. And since you can't really go east from Waterdeep, why would you bother with it?

But you can go East from Waterdeep. By road.

It's one of those things where the map was pretty obviously created without really thinking too much about how it works. Which is fine. Just mildly annoying from time to time if you start scratching below the surface.

Unlikely. More likely is that you’re being stubborn about not admitting that the premise of the OP was off base.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You can also go down and trade with the Underdark.

As for the river, you sail out to sea, a couple of miles along the coast, and into the harbour. Whist most cities would be built at the lowest bridging point on the river, in this case it's a pestilential swamp (no fresh drinking water!) and there is a better location near by.

 

[pukunui]

True, but, how exactly does one get the water from Sargath - through 18 (ish) levels of the Undermountain - to Waterdeep? And, honestly, would you actually drink the water that is under the control of all those monsters? Never minding that the first level of Undermountain is a 140 feet below the Yawning Portal. Figure that you've got about 20 feet (at the very, very least) between each layer, and Sargauth is probably about 500 feet (minimum) below the surface of Waterdeep.

The Sargauth flows through level 3 of Undermountain, so it’s really not that deep at all. It goes through Skullport as well.

Did you read the Candlekeep link I posted with the quotes from Ed?

And since you can't really go east from Waterdeep, why would you bother with it?

As others have said, you absolutely can. Waterdeep controls the bridge over the Dessarin and you can follow the road down to Daggerford through all the farms and villages there, then you can take the road east through Secomber and Loudwater and over the mountains and through the Anauroch. Yes, that way is controlled by the Zhents but you can still do it.

The road south from Waterdeep is known as the Trade Way for a reason.