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How to Get Water in Flotsam
Fresh water comes from the Desalinator, which burns firewood and can later be electrified, or from the slow Solar Still. The Townheart stores 20. Small and large containers add 10 and 30.
Two ratios, both keptChecked 2026-11-07
Two machines, three tanks
The Desalinator costs 8 floaters and 4 planks and produces fresh water. The Electrician later offers an electric version. The Solar Still costs 16 floaters and 6 planks and makes 1 fresh water on a slow cycle. Storage is the part people under-build: the Townheart holds 20, a Small Water Container holds 10, a Water Container holds 30. Those capacities are wiki and food-guide figures.
Firewood is the hidden water cost. The survival guide treats one firewood as one purification or one cooking. If the wood pile dies, the taps die with it. A 21-person town that wants about 20 water and 20 food a day is described as a high bar in the old Quick Start, not as a formula.
| Building | Cost | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desalinator | 8 Floater, 4 Planks | Fresh water, firewood | 1 source family (wiki/codex) |
| Solar Still | 16 Floater, 6 Planks | 1 fresh water, slow | 1 source family (wiki/codex) |
| Townheart tank | — | Stores 20 | 1 source |
| Small Water Container | — | Stores 10 | 1 source |
| Water Container | — | Stores 30 | 1 source |
How many distillers
People say “distiller” and mean the Desalinator. Two player ratios exist and I refuse to average them. A Fandom guide says 1 distiller per 5 drifters. The Steam food guide says one Still per roughly 10 people. “Still” in that sentence may mean the Solar Still, which is a different machine. I leave the words as each author wrote them. There is no official litres-per-person figure, so a calculator would be theatre.
Questions
Why is my town thirsty with a still running?
The Solar Still is the slow one. The Desalinator is the workhorse, and it stops when firewood stops.
How many desalination units per person?
One guide says 1 per 5 drifters. Another says one still per 10 people. Both stay. No official ratio exists.
Sources
- Flotsam Fandom wiki — checked 2026-11-07
- Flotsam Tools building codex — checked 2026-11-07
- Steam guide: Food — checked 2026-11-07
- Steam guide: Staying Alive — checked 2026-11-07
- Steam guide: Quick Start (written for 0.3.7) — checked 2026-11-07