Kiera Jefferson
Ground pollution in SimCity 5 is a common issue that arises from poor waste management, sewage solutions, and certain buildings. While it can be challenging to completely eliminate ground pollution, several strategies can help mitigate and reduce it. One effective method is to build sewage treatment plants, which clean the sewage instead of dumping it onto the ground, significantly reducing ground pollution. Additionally, sending sewage to another city with a sewage treatment plant can provide mutual benefits by eliminating ground pollution in your city and generating revenue for the destination city. Another approach is to plant trees and create parks, which help absorb ground pollution, although this may take a significant amount of time. Upgrading to high-tech industries and improving education systems can also reduce ground pollution by replacing old, dirty factories with new, cleaner buildings. These strategies can help players manage ground pollution and create a more sustainable and aesthetically pleasing city in SimCity 5.
How to clean ground pollution in SimCity 5
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sewage | Sewage outflow pipes produce the highest amount of ground pollution. Sewage treatment plants are more expensive but can handle larger volumes and clean the sewage. |
| Parks and trees | Parks and trees help to clean up ground pollution, but trees may die and Sims may get sick. |
| Radiation pollution | Created when a nuclear power plant is bulldozed, staffed with unskilled workers, or explodes. It can also be caused by meteor strikes. Radiation pollution disappears after about 20 in-game years. |
| Water treatment plants | Replenish the water table and can be used to keep a city self-sufficient. |
| Air pollution | Caused by dirty and manufacturing industries, certain power plants, traffic, and airports. It makes it hard for Sims to breathe and lowers land value. |
| Water pollution | Caused by all types of industry except High Tech, power plants, and seaports. It can gunk up and reduce the working capacity of pumps. |
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What You'll Learn
Build a sewage treatment plant
Sewage treatment plants are an important part of keeping your city clean and your Sims healthy in SimCity. Sewage is a form of ground pollution, and the areas around sewage outflow pipes will always be dirty.
To build a sewage treatment plant, you must first ensure you have a City Hall with the Department of Utilities module added somewhere in your city or region. The plant should be built far away from residential and commercial zones to keep land values high. The OMEGA Sewage Treatment Plant is the best option, available after building three OMEGA Zones, but it is expensive. The Deluxe Sewage Treatment Plant is a more environmentally friendly option.
The sewage treatment plant can handle more sewage than a simple outflow pipe, and its main purpose is to absorb and clean the sewage before sending it on. This reduces ground pollution, though it doesn't eliminate it from ground that is already polluted. The plant also replenishes the surrounding water table, which can be harvested cleanly when used with a Water Pumping Station and filtration pumps, providing unlimited water.
It's important to note that if the sewage treatment plant takes on more sewage than it can handle, it will create its own ground pollution footprint. This can be avoided by ensuring your sewage capacity meets or exceeds your city's demand.
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Send sewage to another city
Sewage is a major cause of ground pollution in SimCity 5. If your city is facing ground pollution due to sewage, you can try sending the sewage to another city in the region that can handle the extra capacity. This is a good option if you don't want to deal with the pollution and its consequences in your own city.
To do this, you will need to identify a neighbouring city with a sewage treatment plant that can take on your city's sewage. This option comes with a charge, but it can be beneficial as it gets the pollution out of your city and provides extra development space. It also eliminates ground pollution in your city, provides extra revenue for the destination city, and decreases overall regional pollution.
However, it is important to note that if you exceed the capacity of your sewage treatment system, sewage will back up across your city and cause ground pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the receiving city has the capacity to handle your sewage.
Additionally, while this option can help with ground pollution, it does not address other types of pollution that may be present in your city, such as air pollution or radiation pollution. To combat these, you may need to consider other strategies, such as planting trees and building parks, which can help absorb pollution and improve air quality for your Sims.
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that ground pollution can also be caused by poor waste management practices, such as bulldozing landfills or trash not being picked up. To prevent this type of ground pollution, ensure that your city has an efficient waste management system in place, including regular trash collection and proper landfill management.
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Add parks and plant trees
Adding parks and planting trees can help to reduce ground pollution in SimCity 5. While ground pollution can be caused by poor waste management and sewage solutions, low-tech industries, and bulldozing landfills, parks and trees can help to absorb and clean up this pollution.
To start tackling ground pollution, you can add parks to your city. Parks absorb ground pollution, but it is important to note that Sims who visit these parks may become sick from the pollution. Parks also increase land value and encourage wealth level upgrades. It is recommended to place parks near industrial and residential zones, especially downwind of industrial zones, to maximise their pollution absorption.
In addition to parks, planting trees can also help to reduce ground pollution. Using the forests tool under "Nature" in the parks section, you can plant trees to reduce ground pollution. However, it is important to note that if the pollution is severe, the trees may die. Trees help to convert ground pollution to air pollution, and while this is a slow process, it can help to improve the appearance and health of your city over time.
While adding parks and planting trees can be effective, it is also important to address the sources of ground pollution. This includes improving waste management and sewage solutions, such as building sewage treatment plants, and upgrading low-tech industries to reduce their pollution output. By combining these strategies, you can effectively reduce ground pollution and create a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing city in SimCity 5.
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Upgrade to high-tech industry
Upgrading to high-tech industry in SimCity 5 is a great way to reduce ground pollution and improve the environment for your Sims. Ground pollution is caused by poor waste management and low-tech industries, so upgrading to high-tech industries can be a significant step towards a cleaner city. Here are some detailed instructions to help you upgrade:
Understand the Factors Influencing High-Tech Industry Development
There are four key factors that influence the development of high-tech industries in SimCity 5: current date, Education Quotient (EQ), ordinances, and land value. The year in your simulation affects the likelihood of high-tech industries emerging, with a 1% chance in 1900 and a 100% chance in 2200. The EQ represents the education level of your Sims, and you can increase it by investing in schools, colleges, libraries, and museums.
Encourage High-Tech Industry Growth
To encourage the growth of high-tech industries, you can manipulate the four factors mentioned above. Here are some strategies to try:
- Increase Education – Ensure your Sims are well-educated by building and supporting schools, colleges, and universities. Place community colleges and universities near industrial areas to improve the tech level of your industries.
- Pass Ordinances – Certain ordinances can increase the likelihood of high-tech industries developing. Review the available ordinances and choose those that encourage high-tech growth while discouraging low-tech industries.
- Improve Land Value – High-tech industries tend to develop in areas with higher land value. Focus on improving the land value of the areas where you want high-tech industries to emerge.
- Supply Water – Ensure that your industrial areas have access to water, as this is a basic requirement for high-tech industries.
Manage Pollution
While high-tech industries produce less pollution than low-tech industries, they can still contribute to environmental issues. To mitigate this, incorporate plenty of trees and parks into your industrial areas. Trees help to absorb pollution and improve air quality for your Sims. Additionally, consider building sewage treatment plants to manage waste effectively and reduce ground pollution.
Monitor and Adjust
Upgrading to high-tech industries is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor the performance of your industries and make adjustments as needed. If pollution becomes an issue, address it promptly by adding more trees, parks, or sewage infrastructure. Remember that high-tech industries thrive in well-educated, high-value, and environmentally conscious areas.
By following these instructions, you can successfully upgrade to high-tech industries in SimCity 5, reducing ground pollution and improving the quality of life for your Sims.
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Bulldoze landfills
In SimCity, bulldozing a landfill will cause the remaining garbage to immediately convert to ground pollution, which can almost permanently ruin the land value around it. The ground will turn an ugly black colour. Ground pollution from landfills will disappear gradually over time, but it will wreak havoc on health and land value in the meantime.
To avoid this, there are a few steps you can take before bulldozing a landfill. First, destroy all the garages so that no more trash will be collected. Then, hook up a few Garbage Incinerator modules to burn any remaining trash. Only once all the trash has been burned should you demolish the building.
Another way to deal with ground pollution is to upgrade your city's education systems to a tech level that doesn't produce ground pollution. You can also build a sewage treatment plant, which will clean the sewage instead of dumping it on the ground, reducing ground pollution. Once a treatment plant is built, all sewage outflow pipes should be demolished. You can also send sewage to another city in the region that can handle the extra capacity, such as a city with a sewage treatment plant.
Finally, planting trees and creating parks on top of ground pollution will help to clean it up faster, though it can also kill the trees.
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Frequently asked questions
Ground pollution is caused by poor waste management and sewage solutions. To clean it up, you can:
- Build a sewage treatment plant. This is an expensive option but it can handle larger volumes and clean the sewage instead of dumping it on the ground.
- Send sewage to another city with a sewage treatment plant. This option has mutual benefits, as it eliminates ground pollution in your city, provides extra revenue for the destination city, and decreases region pollution overall.
- Build a sewage outflow pipe. This is the cheapest option but it produces the highest amount of ground pollution and should be built far away from residential areas.
- Plant trees and add parks. This is a slow process but it helps to clean up ground pollution.
Once you remove a source of ground pollution, the land will gradually "heal" and become inhabitable again, but this takes quite some time. Ground pollution caused by bulldozing a landfill will disappear after several weeks. Radiation pollution, caused by a nuclear power plant explosion, for example, will disappear after about 20 in-game years.
Pollution lowers the aura of the surrounding area and affects what kind of buildings the Sims will construct in polluted zones. It lowers land value, meaning there will be fewer residential and commercial buildings. It also makes it hard for Sims to breathe.
Ground pollution is generated by low-tech industries and poor waste management. To prevent it, you can upgrade to a tech level that doesn't produce ground pollution by improving your education systems. You can also prevent water pollution by building a water treatment plant.
