Water Works

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Celegian Waterworks

Unlike gates, the use of running water has been a constant aspect of the Celegian Empire for many thousands of years. The use of water wheels and canals began in the first few centuries, and has continued ever since. Nearly all Celegian cities are built next to rivers or lakes. The Celegians use water to power their industry and much of their transport. The two mighty rivers, the Timbor and the Pested, have been Celegia's principal highways for millennia. The early Celegians built dams, dug tunnels to carry water, strung mighty aqueducts over hundreds of miles, and diverted rivers to provide hydraulic "head." Water is only useful for power generation when it has "head," or distance to fall. The big revolution in the use of water came in the Year of Celegian Reign 9,235.

This great revolution came when a mighty wizard (Alarale) first perfected a method to create permanent areas of reverse gravity. All items in these areas fell upwards, that including water. This principle revolutionized the Empire. Now head could be achieved anywhere. This is done by building a tall tower near a source of water. An area of reverse gravity is created within this building. A series of sluiceways are then built, pointing "downwards" toward the ground. Water is then admitted at the foot of the building. Water enters the reverse gravity and falls "upward" into the sluices. As it falls up to the top of the tower, it is harnessed to numerous water wheels. At the top of the tower all of the sluiceways empty into a reversing pool. When the reversing pool is filled, the water spills into a second set of sluiceways and falls down the tower, turning numerous wheels.

The modern form of the water tower has become fairly standard. It consists of an immensely tall spire, usually from 400 to 600 feet tall, which houses the water wheels and sluiceways. A canal leads to the base of this spire. From the middle heights of the tower, usually 250-300 feet above ground, two or three huge aqueducts radiate outward, usually for several miles. These carry water to many other buildings near them. Here the water again turns wheels, and is used for drinking, cleaning, etc. Common features of Celegian urban areas are huge buildings called covillas, usually of concrete and stone, and housing up to 2,000 people. All of the covillas are linked by large water runs at their roof level, by which means they enjoy running water for their inhabitants. The water also feeds the gardens which grow on the covillas' roofs by Imperial Edict and powers wheels in the covillas for their industries.

By means of these water towers, one facility can provide water for a densely populated area several dozen square miles in area. The water towers gain revenue by renting the use of their wheels, and they also charge for the water they give to the covillas. The urban landscape is covered with the towering spires of the water towers and their tall aqueducts marching off into the distance.

Owning water towers brings a large and steady stream of income. Every water wheel in the tower, and there are usually several hundred, is usually rented at a rate of several gold per week. Also, each aqueduct dispenses its water through specially sized sluice gates. The wider the sluices are opened, the more is charged per week. The fees provide a tremendous incentive to either the construction of these towers or the ownership of existing towers. Much of the power and influence of the Celegian Empire is directly related to the control of water, although the advent of gates is changing this.