- v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
- Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
40d:Well
Wells are structures that serve as water sources for your dwarves. Dwarves will only drink from wells if there is no alcohol to be found in your fortress (that better never happen).
Construction
To build a well, press the b key, followed by the l key.
The required materials for building a well are:
- Bucket
- Block
- Mechanism
- Chain or Rope
- Open space over water
- For detailed instructions on setting up a working well, see the well guide!
Wounded dwarves will drink only water and dwarves much prefer drinking from a well to drinking from a river or pond, so better have a well ready before the first goblins show up.
The unhappy thought that a dwarf gets from murky or contaminated water will not occur if the dwarf drinks that very same water by way of a well (In other words, the ultimate water source of the well does not matter. Exception:salt water).
Wells must have a clear vertical pathway to a water source, i.e. a channel, an aquifer, a river, a brook, a stream, a lake, or a reservoir. It is easiest to draw water from underground sources, but aboveground sources can also be used so long as you construct the well's floor on the z-level above the water. The water in the square directly below the well must be at least 3/7 deep.
When constructing a well, it is important to consider water pressure to avoid flooding your fortress by accident.
Using the well will take a small amount of water from the channel below, so it will eventually dry up if not replenished.
Wells generate a happy thought from dwarves who use them.
A deep well shaft contributes to the building quality[Verify], as well as the materials used in the construction.
Your dwarves will happily use any excuse for falling into wells, usually resulting in injury, drowning and swift death. Thus you should construct your well as dead end, surrounded mostly by walls. Military dwarves are reportedly even more interested in well-diving than civilians, so keep military infrastructure, especially barracks, away from wells. This may be caused by sparring dwarves, who tend to ignore danger when dodging. Building escape stairs from your water source may also be a good idea.
A well can be defined as a meeting area with the q key.