Water Merchant

Water merchant is a common profession across the cities of the Hadašhim Subcontinent. Contrary to the more northern, and tropical lands of Šalmaram, Hadašham has plenty of water sources, but groundwater is scarce or contaminated in the densely populated areas. Thus most large townships have pipelines made of stone or terracotta in special cases as in Tir-Našadar of brass which bring water to the public fountains.

These stand to every persons disposal, but in more crowded areas it can take considerable time to acces to one or more taps. Nonetheless, although water controls are rare, the taken amount, and the time to fill the containers is a frequent reason for quarrels.

The luckiest ones of the city dwellers do have full plumbing in their villas both for fresh, as well as for wastewater. Villas without running water are unmarketable in the Hadašhim Kingdom, or they are sold at a heavy discount. The poor don't have choice either, they send one or another family member to the sources to fetch water for the daily business as drinking, cooking, washing and personal hygiene.

However the people in between, craftsmen, low ranking functionaries as their like pay water merchants, or water fetchers, who provide them the necessary amount of water for a sum not all too high.

Water fetchers are making up different classes among themselves. Some are young, pretty girls, who offer drinks on the main ways in and out of the city to the thirsty travellers. Others are taking a carboy or a small barrel on the back, and make several turns in a day to deliver the agreed amount. Yet another are entrepreneurs with a cart and large amount of freshwater who start in the dawn, fill up the tank and bring it to some designated households with whom they have exclusive relationships.

Among the dryer, more northern Aharganite areas, the street sellers make up the largest part of the water fetchers, because most homes have an own source. In the Western Kingdoms due to the low urbanisation water merchants are virtually unknown with the exception of some former colonial cities like Lurrak or Karamrost. There even the more urban settlements resemble large villages with stone walls rather than proper townships. Most people either have an own well or they use the rivers and the like for drinking.