Duplicants' Refusal Of Polluted Water: Reasons And Solutions

In the game Oxygen Not Included, duplicants do not drink polluted water. This is because the polluted water contains food poisoning germs. If a duplicant does not reach a toilet in time, or stress-vomits, they create polluted water. This polluted water can be purified by pumping it via a Liquid Pump into a Water Sieve and using a filtration medium. However, this does not remove any germs that may be present. To do this, you can use a water purifier, though this will not remove the stress caused by polluted water.

Duplicants may not be able to reach the polluted water or the bottle emptier

If your duplicants are not taking polluted water, it may be because they cannot reach the polluted water or the bottle emptier. Here are some possible reasons and solutions:

Firstly, ensure that you have built a bottle emptier and placed it within reach of your duplicants. If the bottle emptier is too far away or blocked off, the duplicants may not be able to access it. Try building the bottle emptier near a basin or sink, as this is where polluted water is typically generated.

Secondly, check the priority settings for the bottle emptier and ensure they are set correctly. Prioritize the bottle emptier by setting its priority to 7, 8, or even 9. This will make it more likely that your duplicants will attend to it. You can also try increasing the priority of a dupe for the "tidy" action, which may encourage them to empty bottles.

Additionally, make sure that you have set the correct liquid in the bottle emptier filter settings. The bottle emptier should be set to accept polluted water specifically. This will ensure that your duplicants know to bring polluted water to that location.

If your issue is with duplicants not collecting polluted water from the environment, try building a Farm Tile and planting a "Thimble Reed" fiber plant. Set the priority for irrigating this plant extremely high. Duplicants will then use polluted water to tend to the plant, effectively reducing the amount of polluted water in your base.

The bottle emptier may not be configured to receive polluted water

If your duplicants are not taking polluted water, it could be because the bottle emptier is not configured to receive it. This is a common issue in the game, and there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

Firstly, ensure that you have built a bottle emptier. This is a crucial structure for managing liquids, including polluted water. Once you have confirmed the presence of a bottle emptier, check the liquid filter settings. It is important to set the right liquid in the bottle emptier filter; otherwise, your duplicants will not interact with it as intended. Make sure that polluted water is selected as one of the liquids to be emptied.

Additionally, consider the placement of your bottle emptier. Ensure that it is reachable for your duplicants. Obstructions or distance may hinder their ability to interact with it. You can also try setting the bottle emptier priority higher, to 7, 8, or even 9. This will make the task of emptying bottles, especially those containing polluted water, a higher priority for your duplicants.

Another factor to consider is the discovery status of polluted water. The bottle emptier may not offer the option to select polluted water until it has been "discovered" in the game. This typically occurs when the first wash basin you build fills up and a jug of polluted water appears on the floor. At this point, you can then set the option for polluted water on the emptier.

By following these steps and ensuring that your bottle emptier is properly configured, reachable, and prioritized, you should be able to resolve the issue of your duplicants not taking polluted water.

The task priority for the bottle emptier may be set too low

If your duplicants are not taking polluted water, it may be because the task priority for the bottle emptier is set too low. This is a common issue in the game Oxygen Not Included, where players need to manage the priorities of various tasks for their duplicant characters.

To address this issue, it is recommended to increase the priority of the bottle emptier task. In the game, players can set the priority of tasks for their duplicants, with higher priorities indicating a more urgent or important task. By increasing the priority of the bottle emptier task, players can ensure that their duplicants will prioritise emptying bottles over other tasks with lower priorities.

It is worth noting that the priority system in the game can be quite complex. Players need to consider both the dupe priority, indicated by arrows in the top corner, and the task priority, indicated by numbers. A task with a single arrow at priority 1 will take precedence over a task with no arrows at priority 9. Therefore, it is important to review both the dupe and task priorities to ensure that the bottle emptier task is set appropriately.

Additionally, players should also consider the type of errand associated with the task. Sweeping polluted water is typically categorised as a "Store" errand, but it can also fall under "Supply" or "Tidy" errands in some cases. Players should review the errand settings and ensure that the relevant errands are enabled and prioritised for their duplicants.

By adjusting the priority settings and ensuring the appropriate errands are enabled, players can increase the likelihood that their duplicants will take polluted water and empty bottles as desired.

Duplicants may not be able to reach the bottle emptier due to blocked pathing

If your duplicants are not taking polluted water, it may be because they cannot reach the bottle emptier due to blocked pathing. This is a common issue in the game, where dupes are unable to reach the designated spot or are trapped due to improper building.

To resolve this, ensure that there is a clear path to the bottle emptier by checking the route and removing any obstacles. Prioritize the exit path over other tasks to ensure they can reach the bottle emptier. Additionally, avoid queuing too many orders in advance, as this can confuse the AI and result in conflicting tasks for the duplicants.

You can also try increasing the priority of the bottle emptier to 7, 8, or 9, and make sure that polluted water is selected in the bottle emptier's filter settings. Setting the right liquid in the filter will ensure that the duplicants know which bottles to prioritize.

Another solution is to build a Farm Tile (not Hydroponics) and plant a "Thimble Reed" fiber plant. Set the priority for this plant extremely high, and the duplicants will use the polluted water bottles to irrigate it, effectively dealing with the polluted water.

Duplicants may not be able to carry enough polluted water at once to make multiple trips efficient

If your duplicants are not picking up polluted water, it could be because they are not able to carry enough of it at once to make multiple trips efficient. This can be a problem if the distance between the water source and the storage area is too great. To solve this issue, you can try the following:

First, ensure that you have built a bottle emptier over a basin or a similar structure. This will provide a designated area for your duplicants to empty the polluted water. Set the building priority of the bottle emptier to a high level, preferably 7, 8, or 9. This will increase the likelihood of your duplicants using it.

Next, check the liquid settings on your bottle emptier. Ensure that it is set to accept polluted water. You can do this by selecting "Polluted Water" or setting it to "Autobottling." This will ensure that your duplicants know that this is the designated area for disposing of polluted water.

Additionally, consider the distance between the water source and the bottle emptier. If the emptier is too far away, your duplicants may be less likely to use it. Try to build the bottle emptier as close to the water source as possible to reduce the travel distance for your duplicants.

By implementing these suggestions, you can improve the efficiency of your duplicants in handling polluted water. Adjusting priorities, ensuring proper liquid settings, and reducing travel distances will help ensure that your duplicants can carry and dispose of polluted water more effectively.

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