Getting water is essential for survival in the multiplayer survival game Rust. Without a reliable source of water, your character will become dehydrated and eventually die. Here are the main methods for obtaining drinkable water in Rust:
Table of Contents
Find and Drink from Natural Water Sources
The easiest way to get water is to find and drink directly from natural sources:
- Rivers – Rivers provide an infinite source of fresh water. Build your base near a river to ensure easy access.
- Lakes – Like rivers, lakes provide an unlimited supply of drinkable water.
- Swamps – Swamp water can be drunk directly without any filtering or purification.
The main downside of natural water sources is that you need to travel to them whenever you get thirsty. However, building near water and carrying storage containers helps mitigate this.
Collect Rainwater with Water Catchers
Water catchers passively collect fresh rainwater over time that you can drink or use for farming:
- Small water catcher – Holds up to 500ml and collects 3ml per minute (12ml if raining).
- Large water catcher – Holds 1500ml and collects 9ml per minute (36ml if raining).
Place multiple catchers on your base and connect them to storage tanks to accumulate large reserves. Just watch out for thieves!
Craft and Fill Storage Items
You can manually collect water by crafting and filling up storage items when needed:
- Water jug – Holds 2000ml. Fill by submerging in water source.
- Water bottle – Holds 500ml. Fill by looking at water source.
- Bota bag – Holds 500ml. Craft with cloth. Fill by looking at water source.
Having storage containers on you allows grabbing water on the go to stay hydrated.
Loot Water Bottles
Search trash piles, barrels, crates, and loot dead players to randomly find water bottles with 500ml of fresh water already inside. They provide a nice bonus source of water from time to time.
Craft a Well or Water Barrel
Once you have a base with a tier 2+ workbench, you can craft the following for on-demand fresh water:
- Water barrel – Stores 30,000ml. Plumb to sink for continuous 1500ml per minute output.
- Well – Extracts fresh groundwater. Use bucket or waterskin to transfer to storage.
Having an in-base water source means you’ll never have to travel far when your thirst gets low!
Purify Salt Water
If you live near the ocean and don’t want to travel inland for fresh water, purify salt water instead:
- Basic water purifier – Manually filters salt water into fresh using low grade fuel.
- Industrial water purifier – Automatically filters salt water. Needs electricity.
Just take care to defend your purifiers from damage during raids.
Farm Water with Sprinklers
Once electricity is set up, you can create an automated fresh water farm with the following components:
- Water pump – Extracts fresh water from sources like rivers and lakes
- Water barrel – Stores pumped water
- Sprinkler – Waters plants
- Water tank – Feeds sprinklers
The pump brings in fresh water, which fills the water barrel. When full, the water barrel automatically empties into the tank feeding the sprinklers. Expand as needed to water more plants!
Conclusion
As you can see, Rust offers a variety of methods for securing a supply of fresh, drinkable water. The game rewards being savvy – place your base near natural sources early on, expand to water catchers and storage containers, then progress to advanced solutions like water purifiers, wells, and sprinkler systems later.
Remember that dehydration kills quickly in Rust, so always make obtaining water a priority when starting out. Learn where the nearest rivers and lakes are. Carry storage items whenever leaving home. And utilize every method possible once your base is established. Water equals life in Rust! Use the tips outlined here and you’ll never die of thirst.
