Water Well Placement Guide
Optimal well locations, contamination prevention, frozen water management, and colony water infrastructure planning. A well-placed water source saves hundreds of hauling hours and prevents winter crises.
Water is one of the most overlooked resources in Going Medieval. New players often build a single well near their kitchen and never think about it again, until the first winter freezes it solid or a plague outbreak traces back to contaminated groundwater. Proper well placement is a decision that affects every aspect of colony life, from cooking and brewing to farming and disease prevention. This guide covers water source types, placement factors, winter preparation, and a tested infrastructure layout for mid-game colonies. For related topics, see our Brewery Guide and Base Layout guide.
Water Source Types
Going Medieval offers several water sources, each with different costs, outputs, and requirements. The right choice depends on your colony size, map terrain, and available resources. Most colonies start with a Basic Well and upgrade to a Deep Well by year two. If your map spawns with a Natural Spring, consider yourself lucky and build your settlement around it, as it provides the highest water output at no construction cost.
| Type | Cost | Output | Depth | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Well | Stone x15 and Wood x10 | Low | Shallow | Natural terrain, near water table | Cheapest option. Sufficient for colonies under 8 settlers. |
| Deep Well | Stone x30 and Iron x5 | Medium | Deep | Any terrain type | Reliable year-round. Does not freeze in winter. Best for mid-game colonies. |
| Natural Spring | Free (map-dependent) | High | Surface | Map must have a spring tile | Cannot be constructed. If your map has one, build the colony around it. |
| Rain Collector | Wood x8 and Cloth x4 | Variable | Surface | Must be placed outdoors | Fills slowly during rain. Good supplementary source but unreliable as primary. |
Placement Factors: Where to Build Your Well
Well placement is one of the few decisions in Going Medieval that cannot be easily undone. Moving a well means demolishing it, losing all materials, and rebuilding from scratch. Before placing your first well, consider these six factors carefully. The most critical factor is distance from the refuse pile. Groundwater contamination flows downhill and through soil, so a well placed too close to waste will silently poison your colony through contaminated cooking water.
| Factor | Ideal | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to Kitchen | 3 to 5 tiles | Close enough for efficient hauling, far enough to avoid refuse contamination from cooking waste. |
| Distance to Refuse Pile | 15+ tiles | Contamination from refuse can seep into groundwater. This is the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks. |
| Distance to Crop Fields | 5 to 10 tiles | Settlers hauling water to crops should not walk through the kitchen or living quarters. |
| Terrain Type | Natural soil (not paved) | Wells on paved stone have reduced water flow. Build on grassland or dirt for maximum output. |
| Elevation | Lower than buildings | Water naturally flows downhill. Placing wells at the lowest point of your settlement maximizes the water table access. |
| Winter Access | Indoor or covered | Exposed wells freeze in heavy snow. Build a small roof structure over the well to prevent freezing. |
Winter Water Crisis: Planning Ahead
The most common water-related disaster in Going Medieval is a winter freeze. When your only well freezes solid, settlers cannot drink, cannot cook, and cannot brew ale. This leads to rapid mood collapse and potential death from dehydration. Every colony should have a winter water plan before the first snowfall. There are three viable options, and you should implement at least two of them for redundancy.
Option A: Build a Deep Well (Recommended)
Deep Wells tap into groundwater below the frost line and never freeze. The stone and iron cost is higher, but the reliability is worth it. Build one before your first winter. If you do not have iron yet, smelt 5 iron bars. The investment pays for itself in one winter.
Option B: Roof Over a Basic Well
A roof structure over a Basic Well prevents freezing in all but the most extreme blizzards. Build walls and a roof around the well tile. This costs additional wood and stone but is cheaper than a Deep Well if iron is scarce.
Option C: Stockpile Water Before Winter
Fill 20 or more waterskins or barrels before the first snow. This is a temporary solution. Stockpiled water runs out in 5 to 7 days for a colony of 8. Use this only as a backup while you construct a more permanent solution.
Water Infrastructure Layout
For a colony of 10 or more settlers, a single water source is rarely enough. The ideal layout places the primary well near the kitchen and brewery, with a secondary source near the crop fields. Here is a tested layout for a mid-game colony of 12 settlers with a brewery and 3 crop fields. This layout minimizes hauling distance for the highest water consumers while keeping contamination risks near zero.
- Primary Well (Deep): 3 tiles from the kitchen, 5 tiles from the brewery. This minimizes hauling distance for the two highest water consumers.
- Secondary Well (Basic): Near the crop fields, 5 tiles from the nearest field edge. Used for irrigation only.
- Rain Collector: Placed on the roof of the main building. Feeds directly into a barrel stockpile inside the kitchen. Supplementary source during summer rains.
- Refuse Pile: 15 tiles downwind from the nearest well. Never uphill from a well, as groundwater contamination flows downhill.
- Brewery: Between the well and the kitchen. Ale production is the second-largest water consumer after cooking. A brewery placed 5 tiles from the well reduces hauling trips significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do wells freeze in winter?
Basic wells placed outdoors will freeze during heavy snow and blizzards, rendering them unusable. Deep wells do not freeze. You can also build a roof over a basic well to prevent freezing, though this requires additional building materials and planning. Always have a backup water source before the first snow.
How much water does each settler need?
Each settler consumes approximately 2 to 3 units of water per day for drinking alone. Cooking, brewing ale, and farming increase this demand significantly. A colony of 8 settlers with a brewery and active crop irrigation needs roughly 40 to 50 water units per day, which a single Deep Well can supply.
Can water become contaminated?
Yes. Wells placed within 10 tiles of a refuse pile, corpse dump, or latrine area can become contaminated. Contaminated water causes food poisoning when used for cooking or brewing. There is no visual indicator. You must rely on proper placement and distance from contamination sources to prevent it.
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Last updated: July 12, 2026