Waterworkers

Waterworkers are exactly what they sound like (and almost exactly what they were on Earth) - people who work with water!
The E.H. may have lots of water, with rivers flowing year round and near-constant rain; but The W.H., on the other hand, has no water at all that's naturally on the surface. The underground saltwater oceans of The W.B. are the only source of water on the entire Western hemisphere. Because of this, desalination of water is strictly necessary for the wellbeing of the people living there.
Big desalination plants are under every realm of The W.H.. These plants remove both salt and potentially harmful microorganisms from water extracted from some of The W.B.'s many vast underground oceans. Waterworkers are extremely important to the survival of citizens living in the W.H, as they run these large plants and supply the hemisphere with all of its freshwater. Unfortunately, however, not many people know about the waterworkers and their importance to everyday survival, as the profession is slightly obscure and passed down mostly through family lines.
The waterworker is also a profession in The E.H., but not for the same purposes. As there is plenty freshwater on the surface of this hemisphere, and as the water of The E.B. is all freshwater, desalination is less of a necessity there. However, fully functioning desalination plants do exist on the Eastern hemisphere, for the purposes of filtering used water and cleaning it for reuse, and cleansing water from the lakes of The E.B. of microorganisms to ensure it's safe to drink.

Career

Qualifications

Interestingly enough, there are guidelines for the required experience needed to become a waterworker, even though the profession is pretty much always passed down through family lines.
According to the manual, not much is needed to qualify for a position. All one needs are basic knowledge of math and science, which is checked by way of a series of three tests; and completion of a basic three-week education and training course, which takes place at a desalination plant of the trainee's choice.

Payment & Reimbursement

Waterworkers are in fact paid pretty well, and have quite nice benefits. Workers are given free housing, clothing, and meals (delicious and nutritious meals, even). Workers are generally paid 40 Dia per hour.

Perception

Social Status

As this profession (it is considered a legitimate profession, as the workers must know how to work the *highly* complex machines in Nhaie's desalination plants) is passed down through family lines, and as the workers typically live underground, in or near the plants themselves; the general public doesn't hear much about the waterworkers and what they do. As Vince, a waterworker in The W.B., one said, 

"If you was t'ask somebody aboveground - one o' the 'normal' people - where their water comes from, they'd say, 'Oh, I dunno'... and they'll prob'ly also tell you they hadn't really thought about it before."
- Vincet Blacket 

Type

Public Services