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40d:Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine component that provides power via water flow. To build a water wheel, select build menu and choose Machine components. It requires 3 wood and generates 100 power, which can be used for operating a pump or mill. Use axles and gears to access the power produced by a water wheel.
Construction
Build a channel at least three tiles long. The water wheel will sit "in" this channel, but you cannot place it yet -- it has no support. Build an axle or gear assembly next to the tile where the center of the water wheel will be. Now you can build the waterwheel. Power will be generated once the channel is filled with water of depth three or greater. You can transport the power wherever it is needed via horizontal and vertical axles and gear assemblies.
Water wheels will not work in brooks.
Perpetual motion
Due to the low power draw of a screw pump, a self-powering assembly can be made with a water wheel that still leaves plenty of excess power for other uses. This is probably a bug.v0.27.169.33a
A simple design is available at this forum post.