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[Ephemeriis]

I started up a new fort last night to try out .31.10 - genned up a new world and embarked next to an ocean.

It's a nice little spot...  Lots of sand, some coal, flux stones.  I've got the ocean, lots of murky pools, some cliffs, and a river.

One of the first things I did is dig out some space for my farms.  Typically I designate some ponds and tell my dwarves to fill them.  But that didn't work this time.  They kept complaining about no water source.  So I tried to designate one of the murky pools as a water source - didn't work.  Designating the river didn't work either.  I assume this is because they're saltwater.  So, I've got some questions...

Is this normal?  I knew the ocean would be saltwater, but I kind of thought the murky pools or at least the river would be freshwater.  So, is it normal for all the water to be salt?  What about aquifers?  There's supposed to be an aquifer somewhere on the map - will it be salt or fresh?

What about irrigation?  I've got a well under construction, which should make my bucket brigade happy...  But what if I just tap a murky pool?  Can I use saltwater to irrigate a field?  Will I get farmable plots?

What about desalination?  If I understand correctly, a screw pump will desalinate the water.  And as long as it doesn't touch natural stone (I'll have to smooth the walls/floor of my cistern) it should stay fresh.  Is this accurate?

Is there any way to tell what is salt or fresh?  If I look at a tile of water, it just says "Water 7/7" - there's no indication (that I have seen) that tells me whether it is fresh water or salt water.  Am I missing something?

[TomiTapio]

Try drinking from the dangerous underworld caves, they should be around level 9-13.

Pretty crazy about the river being seawater!

"In the new system mud is now a contaminant which is created any time water covers an area. Any tiles that contain mud may be used for farming."

I guess the world map's sea color, light blue or dark blue, tells if the sea is salty. The Water article on the wiki says try to designate as drinking zone to test for saltiness.

[TheyTarget]

Its normal for every thing to be salty. I'm guessing the salts just in the soil so water becomes brackish everywhere or something. It makes sense to me, but I live on the shore.

[Creamcorn]

Its normal for every thing to be salty. I'm guessing the salts just in the soil so water becomes brackish everywhere or something. It makes sense to me, but I live on the shore.

Sorta, IIRC in this version, brooks and rivers that are close to the sea or lead out/in to one, have high chances of being salty.

Though, this is really no problem. Just use pumpscrews; for the record, wells don't work anymore in this version as desalinators.

[Cyntrox]

for the record, wells don't work anymore in this version as desalinators.

Are you sure? I've been running this fort for 3 years without any booze and only a well that goes into the ocean - there are murky pools, but I've seen dwarves drink from the well.

It doesn't register as a water zone, though.

[Creamcorn]

for the record, wells don't work anymore in this version as desalinators.

Are you sure? I've been running this fort for 3 years without any booze and only a well that goes into the ocean - there are murky pools, but I've seen dwarves drink from the well.

It doesn't register as a water zone, though.

Then, I guess I'm wrong. Also, why would you run a booze less fort?

[Cyntrox]

I haven't made farms yet

Edit: When the dwarves take water from my well, the buckets say they contain "water laced with salt"... I guess dwarves can drink salt water if they must, then?

[Alcoholic]

I haven't made farms yet

Edit: When the dwarves take water from my well, the buckets say they contain "water laced with salt"... I guess dwarves can drink salt water if they must, then?

I would have the doctors keep and eye on their cholesterol levels...

[The Frivolous Linguist]

Its normal for every thing to be salty. I'm guessing the salts just in the soil so water becomes brackish everywhere or something. It makes sense to me, but I live on the shore.

THIS

[Ephemeriis]

for the record, wells don't work anymore in this version as desalinators.

Hmm...  This might be a problem.

I've got a well under construction specifically to get access to freshwater.  If wells don't desalinate anymore I'm going to have to accelerate my plans for the desalination pump/cistern.

Am I correct on the mechanics of that?  The screwpump will desalinate the water and I should be fine as long as it doesn't touch natural stone?  I just need to smooth all the walls/floors it comes in contact with?

[gtmattz]

for the record, wells don't work anymore in this version as desalinators.

Hmm...  This might be a problem.

I've got a well under construction specifically to get access to freshwater.  If wells don't desalinate anymore I'm going to have to accelerate my plans for the desalination pump/cistern.

Am I correct on the mechanics of that?  The screwpump will desalinate the water and I should be fine as long as it doesn't touch natural stone?  I just need to smooth all the walls/floors it comes in contact with?

I was under the impression that smoothed natural stone still counted as natural stone, and that you have to build the entire cistern from constructions (floor and walls) in order to maintain desalinzation, but I may be wrong here?

[Aspgren]

Since we're asking lots of salt-related questions ...

On a map with only salt water. If you desalinize the water, will freshwater fish pop up in the cistern?

[G-Flex]

What about desalination?  If I understand correctly, a screw pump will desalinate the water.  And as long as it doesn't touch natural stone (I'll have to smooth the walls/floor of my cistern) it should stay fresh.  Is this accurate?

As far as I know, smoothed stone is still natural stone. You'd need a constructed cistern.

This did work back in .40d, and probably hasn't changed, but I can't confirm.

[Satarus]

Pretty sure all you'd get are turtles.

[Double A]

Pretty sure all you'd get are turtles.

Why would that be bad?