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[Of Dust]

I would like to have an aquifer as an internal water source, however, most of the aquifer piercing methods I can understand either rely heavily on the aquifer being deep (cave in) or result in staircases with even dimensions (dual slit) which I tend to avoid as odd looks better to me.

In response, I drew up the following early plan for constructing a 1x3 aquifer staircase with small floors.
I have yet to test this.
(if someone else has done this already please let me know as they will have probably done it better):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 key:
# = rough wall
| = smooth/constructed wall
+ = floor
^ = up ramp
v = down ramp
x = stairs
÷ = pump

Above aquifer:

#####
#v #v# - the channels here are for drainage. Could perhaps be made into wells after use.
#÷+÷# - pumps are pumping north
#÷+÷#
#v x v# - this is where the shaft will go
#####

and then aquifer layer.

#####
#^x^#
#####

If it proves to be a single layer it is then trivial to just get the pumps going and wall off the shaft like
other pump methods
| ||| |
|^x^|
| ||| |

However, if there are multiple aquifer layers then for this method to work we have to dig out enough space for another pair of pumps (or even the same pair moved down).
To do this I propose:
first secure the north side
#|  |  |#
| ^ x ^|
#####

Then channel out the two ramps to use as drainage for this level's run off

#| | |#
| v x v|
#####

And then dig out and wall off another pump area (I am unsure of what order to do so in)

#|||#
| vx v|
|+++|
|+++|
|+|+|
#|||#

Channel out two more drainage holes and build pumps

#|||#
| vx v|
|÷+÷| - pumping south now
|÷+÷|
|v | v|
#|||#

And then repeat the process until you reach the bottom layer and then simply wall it off as stated at the top.
The various drainage holes can be then used for more wells or floored over and filled with creepy statues.

Does anybody have any further advice or information that might prove helpful before i try this?
Is it complete garbage? Is there some vital detail that i have not considered? Feedback is much appreciated.

EDIT: It has just occurred to me that this will not work for more than two layers - the floor of the second layer will leak into the third.

[PatrikLundell]

You can use screw pumps and a lot of work to create a 5 * 5 shaft. If the aquifer is more than a single level deep the shaft will have to be at least 4 tiles in one dimension to use screw pumps. You can use a slight modification of the double-slit method to create a 3*4 shaft in which you can put a 3*3 staircase.

Obsidian casting allows you to create any shape you want, but as with the cave-in method you have to create an inverted step pyramid.

One method you can use is to use one of the "ugly" methods to penetrate the aquifer away from your main fortress, use that to make an edge fortification drain, and then dig sideways and then upwards from there in your desired location up through the aquifer. This staircase can then be widened to the dimensions you like and you can then seal the walls as you would for the upper levels of a normal double-slit shaft.

[Of Dust]

Interesting, I was not aware you could deal with an aquifer from below like that and had never considered that you could carve subterranean edges. That might come in handy.

[Fleeting Frames]

Note that with large enough space, aquifier can fill water in faster than single hole in edge drains out - once tried screw pump into map edge and portable hole for punching a walled-off 3x3 from below, and it didn't work out beyond the initial walls as the hole below filled in.

Otherwise, till the aquifer level started filling up there were no major problems with building initial walls (might have been few cancellations - it's been a while - but no dead dwarves, at least).

[Mostali]

Note that with large enough space, aquifier can fill water in faster than single hole in edge drains out - once tried screw pump into map edge and portable hole for punching a walled-off 3x3 from below, and it didn't work out beyond the initial walls as the hole below filled in.

Otherwise, till the aquifer level started filling up there were no major problems with building initial walls (might have been few cancellations - it's been a while - but no dead dwarves, at least).

I just drained a 118x44 aquifer hole into a single edge opening.  You have to ensure that the water is pressure flowing/teleporting off the map and not just flowing.

[Fleeting Frames]

Oh? Nice to hear, then - that simplifies things greatly.

[targetdroid]

As far as using cave-ins to pierce of shallow multilevel aquifers goes, Has anyone tried cutting trees and constructing wood walls on top of the ground surface to add Z levels on top and then caving in those extra wood Z levels into the now deeper aquifer? Given enough wood and dwarven labor, this should allow using cave-ins without reaching stone even on a multi-level aquifer on the surface.

[Fleeting Frames]

Caved in constructions deconstruct - this is easiest to show by building a wall off the edge of a bridge, for instance. You need natural walls.

[PatrikLundell]

As Fleeting Frames said, natural only, although obsidian counts as natural when cast, so you would be able to use obsidian casting for the cave-in. Of course, to do that you need magma, which usually is collected way beneath the aquifer...

It can be noted that you don't need a natural cave-in if the objective is to kill a Titan, as a deconstructing wall is sufficient for that purpose, but it won't get you through the aquifer under any reasonable circumstances.