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[NoDiamond2]

I'm relatively new to Dwarf Fortress Fortress Mode. I know how to build the fortress and get everything running, but I don't know how to gather water for my Dwarves to drink. Can someone help me?

[kirmaster]

Either you should make a well zone, and wih some buckets your dwarves will fill it with an available water source. If you don't have a river, dig deep for the caverns, they generally have water.

But this ignores the more pressing concern: you don't need water, except for hospitals. Dwarves roll so much better on alcohol. So build a farm and a still, farm some plump helmets, and go distill the plump helmets ( some other crops make booze as well).

[Madventurer]

What kirmaster said.
Booze is the real drink for any uninjured dwarf, and you won't need a big cistern for hospital, unlike my overkill in one of my forts <.<

[Thisfox]

This is actually one of the reasons I like working with aquifers. Unlimited water source for cisterns, dwarfwash, and waterfall.

If you don't have booze, it's easier than ever before to make some, as all you need is to gather the fruit and berries out there in the outside world, then brew them in a still. Set a gathering zone under the trees, and make a stepladder available, and you can even have apple cider, perri, and apricot wine. I love the "new trees". Plump helmets make dwarven booze, but the dwarves know how to make a lot of other types of tipple, and unless they're suffering from stubbed toes, they'll be glad of the variety in their drinks.

[NoDiamond2]

Either you should make a well zone, and wih some buckets your dwarves will fill it with an available water source. If you don't have a river, dig deep for the caverns, they generally have water.

But this ignores the more pressing concern: you don't need water, except for hospitals. Dwarves roll so much better on alcohol. So build a farm and a still, farm some plump helmets, and go distill the plump helmets ( some other crops make booze as well).

So I should set the nearby stream as a water source zone?

[GhostDwemer]

Sure, but dwarves will collect water even without the zone, unless you change the default in the 'o'rders screen. The default is "prefer zones for fishing/drinking" rather than "only use zones."

I will reiterate what everyone else here is saying: dwarves shouldn't drink water. Dwarves should drink booze. Water is for injured dwarves, and washing. Dwarves who do not drink booze slow down.

[Deboche]

You should eventually learn to make a well so your dwarves can get water for the hospital and for washing without going outside.

Soapy baths used to be a thing. I don't know anymore because the new happiness system is too confusing for me.

[Nikow]

Your dwarves will get any colectable water who is drinkitable. You can check water if it's drinkitable by creating zone there 'i' and marking it as water source. If number there is not zero, this is drinkable water, so if dwarves can go near it, they will grab some water... as long as you have buckets. The easiest way to make well inside your fortress is dig 3 wide channel 3 levels deep. Just hole 3x1x3. Then make every hole as zone, who is pond/pasteture and make it as pond. Your dwarves will try collect water somewhere, where it's availble (from pools, for example) and put it into made by your hole. This is good solution in case, when you doesn't want spend too much time to make your hospital well and there are rains from time to time.

You can try find some water deep underground... sometimes you will find some intersting pools there. It can be collected by wells from deep underground.

Sometimes you will embark near ocean and your water will be salty... You should pump it to change it into fresh water (one salt unit will spoil your whole cistern, so be carefull!). Your dwarves will be drinking salt water in emergency situations, but They will not be too happy with it. And when you are diging well, remember, it must be filled 2 whole z levels or your water will be muddy (so not tasty and not too good to clean wounds, but meybe with soap you will avoid infections).

[Ancalagon_TB]

make sure to build a few buckets.

Building an aqueduct leading to an underwater cistern is challenging, but rewarding.  Just make sure to read about water pressure on the wiki, otherwise it might get a bit *too* exciting...

[Kuikka]

I always dig at least one huge cistern to my fort asap - channeling/digging to a river, floodgate and lever, channel a hole above the cistern and place a well. As one needs water anyway in oder to farm underground it's wise to plan cistern to lead some of its water to fields.

My method is to dig the cistern, then the tunnel that leads to the river/water source and stop 1 tile before the water. Build floodgate at the end of tunnel and link it to a lever. When you can open and close the floodgate you can channel (above the tunnel) the last tile that separates your tunnel from the river.

[utunnels]

Always build a well. Even if I have a river, I channel it and build a well above my walls.

Yes they can drink or wash in a river, but they can be attacked and run away from your entrance instead of responsing to your civ alert.

[Deboche]

Wells just by themselves are a source of good thoughts, especially if you make them with valuable parts.

Don't listen to any overcomplicated well designs, it's pretty simple. Just dig your cistern then dig into the side of a river and use a bridge attached to a lever to control the intake of water.

[Kuikka]

And dwarves treat wells as fishing zones as well

[NoDiamond2]

Do I plant plump helmets outside? It's not giving me the option to plant them in the farm plot outside. I'm not at my normal computer, so I can't check.

[Aslandus]

No, plump helmets are cave crops that need to be underground to grow...