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Liquid Management Guide: Plumbing, Tanks & Valves

Liquids in Timberborn are a full 3D simulated resource with volume, flow, depth and contamination values; managing them is central to irrigation, power, and survival (especially during Badtides and droughts).

How liquids behave

  • Liquids occupy volume in tiles and flow in real time according to gravity and elevation. Water flows from higher tiles to lower tiles, seeking the lowest available path.
  • Rivers and other Water Sources continuously generate water; map edges can act as drains.
  • Current speed and depth vary over time and can be measured with a Stream Gauge. The gauge reports Depth (m), Greatest depth (recorded), Current (m3/s) and Contamination (% badwater).
  • There are two practical fluid types: clean water and Badwater. Badwater behaves like water but is slightly denser, so it tends to sink beneath cleaner water when they meet. This density difference can temporarily be exploited for intakes that draw from the surface layer; however, mixing occurs over time and separation is not permanent.

Common liquid buildings & components

Pumps

  • Deep Water Pump: must be placed so the block furthest from the path is over water. Pumps draw water from adjacent water blocks and supply it into your network or buildings.
  • Mechanical/Fluid Pumps: interact with the 3D fluid simulation; placement and elevation determine what they draw.

Tanks & storage

  • Tanks store a single chosen liquid good (clean water, badwater, etc.). Place Tanks to buffer supply for buildings like Centrifuges and Fluid Dumpers.
  • Use Tanks as input and output reservoirs to maximize building efficiency (for example, place Tanks near a Centrifuge for steady throughput).

Valves, Floodgates and Flow Control

  • Floodgates are placed in the path of flowing fluids to manually block or divert flow; useful early-game for diverting Badtides. Valves (metal-era) can automate similar functions later.
  • Fill Valves act as controllable one-way transfers. They can be set to stop filling the outlet once the outlet reaches a specified height (from 0.00 m up to the valve's own top). When set to "Unlimited" a Fill Valve behaves as a one-way pass — it allows flow from inlet to outlet but prevents flow back.
  • Throttling Valves can be tied into logic (Relays, Sensors) to route fresh water vs badwater. Example Badtide diversion setup:
    • Use a Contamination Sensor with threshold > 5%.
    • Connect fresh-water Throttling Valves to a Relay set with On = 0, Off = maximum.
    • Connect badwater Throttling Valves to the Contamination Sensor with On = maximum, Off = 0.
    • When contamination rises, freshwater valves close and badwater valves open; when contamination drops, freshwater opens and badwater closes.

Fluid Dumpers

  • Fluid Dumpers require Goods (liquid units) supplied by Haulers or workers, gathered from Pumps or Tanks.
  • When placed above dry ground, a Fluid Dumper will begin dumping into the block below its outlet; once water starts filling that block the ground becomes irrigated and can be tilled.
  • Fluid Dumpers stop dumping when the fluid level in the block directly below the outlet reaches about 0.5 m.

Using liquids strategically

  • Elevation control and channels are fundamental: dams, levees, canals and aqueducts let you redirect and store water, create reservoirs, and shape currents.
  • For irrigation, use Fluid Dumpers or controlled channels to raise water levels in target tiles to create fertile soil.
  • During Badtides or contamination events, separate and route badwater away from critical systems using valves and sensors. Tanks can buffer and isolate contaminated flows until you switch routing.
  • Exploit density differences of badwater vs clean water for temporary separation (surface intakes for cleaner water), but expect mixing over time — rely on mechanical separation and routing rather than permanent stratification.

Monitoring and diagnostics

  • Stream Gauges provide live measurements of depth, flow current, and contamination at specific map locations; place them where you need to track tides, reservoir levels, or contamination fronts.
  • Use Tanks and Gauges together with Valves and Relays to build automated systems that respond to contamination, droughts, or excess flow.

Practical tips

  • Place pumps where they can access the deepest or intended water layer and provide a direct path for haulers or conduits.
  • Keep Tanks close to consumers (Centrifuges, Fluid Dumpers, processing buildings) to avoid intermittent supply when currents change.
  • Use Floodgates for early manual control; replace with automated Valves once you unlock metal-era automation for repeatable safety against Badtides.
  • Always plan for overflow and drains at lower elevations to prevent accidental flooding of your timberland.

This covers the core mechanics and tools for handling liquids in Timberborn: their simulated 3D flow, contamination management (badwater), storage and transfer buildings, and automation strategies for robust water control.