Keep Your Colony Clean: Sweeping Polluted Water With Duplicants

To get duplicants to sweep up polluted water, you need to set up a bottle emptier with polluted water selected and place it near the polluted water. The priority of the bottle emptier should be set to 6 or higher so that the duplicants pick up the polluted water quickly. If the bottle emptier is too far away, the duplicants will not sweep. Additionally, make sure that the duplicants have the `Mopping` job enabled and that there is enough space for mopping, with two tiles available and an empty tile above the water. You can also set the priority of the sweep task to a higher level to ensure that the duplicants focus on cleaning up the polluted water.

Ensure the Bottle Emptier is set to allow polluted water

To get your duplicants to sweep up polluted water, you need to ensure that your Bottle Emptier is set up correctly. This is a common issue, as many players have found that their duplicants will not sweep polluted water from their algae farms or other areas of their base.

Firstly, you need to build a Bottle Emptier over a basin of some sort. This could be a polluted water pit or a wash basin. Once you have a bottle of polluted water, you can then set the option on the Bottle Emptier to allow for polluted water. It is important to note that the option to designate the Bottle Emptier for polluted water will not appear until you have "discovered" polluted water. This means that the first wash basin you build needs to fill up first, and then you will be able to set the option on the Bottle Emptier.

It is crucial that you do not click the upper/outer checkmark on the Bottle Emptier, as this will lead to polluted water being emptied into your clean water supply. Instead, wait for polluted water to be "discovered" and then select the "dot" option for polluted water on the Bottle Emptier.

Additionally, you should set the priority of the Bottle Emptier to a higher number, such as 6 or above. This will ensure that the duplicants pick up the polluted water bottles quicker. You can also set the building priority to 9, as some players have found success with this setting.

By following these steps, you should be able to get your duplicants to sweep up polluted water by ensuring that the Bottle Emptier is set up correctly and given a high priority.

Set the Bottle Emptier to a high priority

To get duplicants to sweep up polluted water, it is important to set the Bottle Emptier to a high priority. This will ensure that the duplicants prioritise emptying the polluted water bottles and prevent the spread of contamination in your shelter.

The specific steps to set the Bottle Emptier to a high priority may vary depending on the game version or your personal setup. However, based on community discussions, it is recommended to set the priority to 6 or above. For example, one player reported success by setting the priority to 7, while another user suggested setting it to 9.

By increasing the priority of the Bottle Emptier, you are making it a more urgent task for the duplicants to address. This will prompt them to act quickly and efficiently in dealing with the polluted water. It is worth noting that using high priorities for tasks should be balanced with other errands, as duplicants have a limited capacity for tasks.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that the Bottle Emptier is reachable by the duplicants. In some cases, players have reported issues with their original Bottle Emptier becoming unreachable, and building a new one resolved the issue.

By following these steps and prioritising the Bottle Emptier task, you can effectively instruct your duplicants to sweep up polluted water and maintain a clean and safe environment for your colony.

Set the building priority to 9

To get your duplicants to sweep up polluted water, setting the building priority to 9 is crucial. Here's a detailed guide on why and how to do it effectively:

When you prioritize a building task at priority 9, you're essentially instructing your duplicants to treat it as a top priority. This means they will drop most of their current tasks and focus on completing the assigned building task. Setting the priority to 9 ensures that the task of sweeping up polluted water is treated with urgency and importance.

To set the building priority to 9, follow these steps:

• Select the Building: Click on the building that you want your duplicants to use for sweeping up polluted water. This could be a supply bin, a storage container, or a specific area designated for polluted water.
• Access the Priority Menu: Once the building is selected, look for the priority menu. It's usually located near the bottom of the interface, and it might be represented by a small arrow or a priority icon. Click on this to access the priority settings.
• Set Priority to 9: In the priority menu, you'll typically find a list of priority levels, ranging from 1 to 9. Click on the option that sets the priority to the highest level, which is 9. This instructs the duplicants to prioritize the task associated with that building.
• Confirm the Setting: After selecting priority 9, make sure to confirm the setting by clicking "Ok," "Save," or a similar confirmation option. This ensures that your priority setting is locked in.

By setting the building priority to 9, you're sending a clear message to your duplicants that sweeping up polluted water is a critical task. They will respond by making it a top priority, ensuring that the polluted water is cleaned up promptly and efficiently.

Remember, while setting the priority to 9 will get the job done quickly, it might interrupt other tasks that your duplicants are working on. Use this setting when you want to ensure immediate attention to the task of sweeping up polluted water.

Make sure the area is big enough for mopping

To get your duplicants to mop up polluted water, you need to ensure the area is big enough for them to do so effectively. This means creating a sufficient amount of space around the polluted water source. Here are some tips to make sure the area is spacious enough for mopping:

Firstly, you can dig the area wider to increase the overall space. By expanding the perimeter of the polluted area, you provide more room for your duplicants to manoeuvre and mop. This method is especially useful if the polluted water is concentrated in a smaller area. Digging wider will reduce the overall depth, making it more accessible for mopping. Just make sure that the amount of water per tile is 150kg or less, as this is the limit for your duplicants to be able to mop it up effectively.

Additionally, you can try digging holes to control the amount of water. By strategically placing holes, you can distribute the polluted water across multiple tiles, reducing the amount per tile. This technique is useful when dealing with a more concentrated area of polluted water. The holes will fill up, controlling the water distribution and making it more manageable for your duplicants to mop. Remember, by digging holes or widening the area, you achieve a similar effect of controlling the water levels to make mopping possible.

Another important consideration is to ensure that your duplicants can reach the area you want them to mop. Make sure there are no obstacles or barriers preventing them from accessing the polluted water. You can use the mop tool by pressing 'M' and selecting the desired area for them to mop. By doing so, you can confirm that the area is accessible and that your duplicants can reach all the necessary squares. This will ensure that they can effectively mop up the polluted water without any physical constraints.

In summary, ensuring that the area is big enough for mopping involves creating space around the polluted water source. You can achieve this by digging the area wider, digging holes to distribute the water, or a combination of both methods. Remember to always keep in mind the amount of water per tile and make sure your duplicants can reach all the necessary areas for mopping. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to successful polluted water cleanup!

Set up deodorizers to purify the oxygen

Deodorizers are buildings that can be used to purify polluted oxygen and, by extension, polluted water, which naturally converts to polluted oxygen over time. Here is a guide on how to set up deodorizers to achieve this:

Firstly, it is important to note that deodorizers require 5 Watts of power to operate and must be periodically supplied with a filtration medium. They will produce clay as a byproduct, which is useful for ceramic production. Deodorizers are effective within a 5-tile-tall and wide star/cross-shaped area, and they are unable to catch polluted oxygen behind mechanical doors or non-mesh/airflow tiles.

To set up deodorizers for purifying oxygen, identify areas with pockets of polluted oxygen or polluted water, such as algae farms, wash basins, or outhouses. Place the deodorizers near these structures, ensuring they are within the effective range mentioned earlier. You can also place an array of deodorizers over an open pool of polluted water to convert it into oxygen, although this process is very slow and should not be your primary source of oxygen production.

Make sure to supply the deodorizers with filtration media as needed. The deodorizers will purify the polluted oxygen, reducing the threat of Slimelung infection, and release the purified oxygen into the environment. The deodorizers will also produce clay, which can be collected from the ground.

Additionally, consider the priority settings for your bottle emptiers and storage containers. Setting the bottle emptier to a higher priority (6 or above) will encourage Duplicants to pick up polluted water bottles more quickly. You can also keep your storage containers below priority 5 to prevent sweeping tasks from overriding other jobs.

Frequently asked questions