Editing v0.31:Well

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'''Wells''' are [[building|structures]] that provide access to a [[water]] source for your dwarves. A well can be an important feature of a fortress, providing a clean and usually safe water supply compared to rivers, pools and cavern lakes.

Wells provide an emergency drinking source in case the [[alcohol]] runs out (don't let that happen!). A well is a water source that (if constructed correctly) will not freeze in the coldest weather, and should last in hot. Enemies that can swim can and will path into your fort through a well. Grates will not stop building destroyers.

A well constructed above-ground, even indoors, will not prevent the water tile beneath it from freezing. When this happens, the "empty space" requirement for the well is no longer met as the space is occupied by the ice, and the well will be dismantled into its original components (Prevent this by placing it one Z-level above the water source if it freezes). Using the well (10 times) will take a small amount of water from the water tile below ([[water depth|1/7]] from that one tile), so it will eventually dry up if not replenished. A well can be defined as a [[activity zone#Meeting_Area|meeting area]] with the {{K|q}} key. Un-defining the meeting area will break up any [[party]] that is currently formed around a well, and it can immediately be re-defined if you wish.

Using a well provides that dwarf with a happy [[thought]], especially if you make the well with high-value [[chain]]/[[rope]], [[bucket]], [[block]] and [[mechanism]], and/or the [[building designer]] produces a high quality result. Drinking [[Water#Stagnant_water|stagnant water]] from a well will still lead to a bad thought, and will lead to [[Health care#Infection|infection]] if used to clean a [[wound]]. If the floor of your water source is covered by a pile of [[mud]] (like the floor of underground pools in [[cavern]]s) then the water drawn out will be 'water laced with mud' unless there are two [[z-level]]s of water in it. Badly [[wound]]ed dwarves will drink only water while recuperating, never booze, so you better have a well or water zone ready for when anyone gets injured, and certainly before the first goblins show up.  Ensure you have enough buckets as well, as injured dwarves will not go to the well themselves even if it is next to their hospital bed, but require someone to bring them water in a bucket. If a well is full enough and the water is only one z-level down, the tile can also be used for fishing.

Dwarves will use the well to wash themselves.  This means that if dwarves are exposed to [[contaminant]]s such as blood, it may accumulate around your well. Deadly contaminants from [[Forgotten beast|Forgotten Beasts]] can and will accumulate around your wells, too. Wells in highly trafficked areas can become death traps this way, quickly spreading the [[syndrome]] to your entire fort. One approach to decontamination is to build wells off the beaten path, in a nook limiting access to one tile, and placing a [[drawbridge]] [[Dwarven_atom_smasher|atom smasher]] over that tile. Whenever a dwarf leaves a mess by a well, lock the access [[door]]s and smash that mess with a bridge. Another approach involves flooding the area around the well and draining the excess water off screen somehow. Removing the contaminants from the map is the only sure way to deal with them permanently and stop them from killing your [[FPS]], and your dwarves if they are deadly.

When constructing a well, it is important to consider placement, safety, the source of the water, and any [[water pressure]] to avoid flooding your fortress by accident. For a wider discussion of adding a well to your fortress, see the (recommended) [[well guide]].

Wells must have a clear vertical pathway straight down to their water source. That source can be an artificial channel, an [[aquifer]], a [[river]], a [[lake]], or an artificial [[reservoir]], so long as it has water in it that's at least [[water depth|3/7 deep]].  [[Brook]]s can be used, but you must first [[channel]] off the [[floor|surface]] of the brook to allow the bucket to dip into the water.  The water can be any distance directly below the well.  If there is 7/7 deep water somewhere directly below the well, then the depth of the top tile of this water does not matter. [[Image:Well_illustration.png|right|thumb|154px|Wells must be built over the water, though they can be many levels higher than the water.]]

:* 1 [[block]]

:* 1 [[bucket]]

:* 1 [[chain]] or 1 [[rope]]

:* 1 [[mechanism]]

:* an 'open space' or 'downward slope' tile (usually channeled by you) to place the well on   

It requires a dwarf with the [[architecture]] [[labor]] designated to design, and then a [[mason]]/[[carpenter]]/[[metalsmith]] to finish the construction.  Because it's designed, high-value materials can be multiplied by a high-quality effort on the part of either or both the steps involved, and can result in an extremely valuable piece of architecture for your fortress.

 

If a well is working properly, meaning it has direct access to water, it will display "active" when examined with {{k|q}}. If there is something obstructing the well, or there is not enough water, it will display "dry".

While in use by a dwarf, you can see the actual rope and bucket travel through the z-level. Although interesting, if your water source is very deep it may take awhile for a single dwarf to obtain his or her ration of water. This becomes especially annoying if you do not have a steady booze supply, as thirsty dwarves will swarm the well awaiting their turn.

It is possible to build wells directly above one another, and they will still function if there is water below, they will not obstruct one another, as they are not impassible structures. [[Hatch]]es, floor [[bars]] and floor [[grate]]s will block well functionality, if they are between it and the water, but grates and bars will not stop water from flooding out. Grates, bars and hatches will allow functionality again if opened with a [[lever]]. It is perfectly reasonable to have multiple well openings drawing from a single water source, as a well only cares about the tile in a straight line below it. Wells cannot function through a stairwell. It is possible to have obstacles beneath a well, with the well continuing to function, if the surface of the water is above the obstacles.

A well is essentially a hole in the floor, so dwarves can fall through it under the right circumstances. Using a well is safe, while fighting or flooding near a well may not be. Any dwarves who fall through may escape drowning if the water source includes an escape route.