Waterdeep/Sewers

The sewers of Waterdeep were a sanitation system of tunnels beneath the city that connected to many of its nearby dungeons.

Structure
The depth of these sewers varied around Waterdeep, due to Mount Waterdeep and the plateau the city was built upon. The Field Ward,, the harbor islands, and the heart of Mount Waterdeep were the only areas in the city that the sewers did not run beneath.

Partially due to city’s ever changing layout, the tunnels of this sewer system did not match up with the routes of the city's streets by the 14 century DR.

Functionality
This sewer system operated on tidal flushing, meaning that its waters were flushed out by the ocean tides that came into Deepwater Harbor. The sewer's tunnels emptied into the harbor at places that were covered by extremely large and strong gratings. Refuse, as well as air, were brought down into the sewers by numerous feeder pipes scattered throughout.

The areas in which the sewer system was constructed at, as well as the varied sizes within, were designed to optimally account for the ocean tides. Their layout was also dictated by where springs rose and flowed down to the sea. And finally, to ensure the city's harbor did not become a cesspool, Ahghairon and other mages bound spells into the city's wards that assisted the flows of water in carrying away sewage.

Interior
The ceilings, floors, and walls all throughout the sewer system were made of masonry. There was little to no lighting within the sewers and a terrible stench pervaded the entire network.

Organizations

 * Cellarers' & Plumbers' Guild: Most members of this learn the general layout of the sewers after two to five years. This is because their primary concerns were keeping the sewers of the city functional and safe, with guild members being engaged in constant small repair jobs in the sewers, such as on plumbing in old buildings.
 * Dungsweepers' Guild: This guild normally did not work on the sewer system, but for security reasons the city reserved the right to contact the guildmaster and hire members to help in such work.
 * Guild of Watermen: Members of this guild knew various spots where the sewer system emptied into the harbor.
 * Xanathar's Thieves' Guild: This guild had safehouses scattered throughout the sewers. Tunnels were often marked with the symbol of the guild in yellow chalk, helping to guide members to the safehouses. Every few days these were erased, either by members of the guild or by the Dungsweepers' Guild.

History
In Eleint, 1367 DR, new creatures began to be encountered in the sewers by members of the Plumbers' Guild, such as the sewerm.

In the wake of Iakhovas's attempted invasion of Waterdeep in 1369 DR, a number of sea creatures escaped into the sewer system. A trio of aboleths, hailing from the Swordsea Depths, joined in this assault for the sole purpose of gaining access to this sewer system.

In 1492 DR, Jeryth Phaulkon sent awakened rats into the sewers to search for Xanathar's hidden lair, eventually discovering a secret spiral stairwell in the sewers beneath the Castle Ward.

Rumors & Legends
There were persistent rumors that Uluryk Malogh made an extensive map of the city's cellars and sewers, detailing all their various barriers, locks, and traps.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
 * Video Games
 * Eye of the Beholder • Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder