| Method | Stable supply? | Evidence boundary | First decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumlings | Yes, as a renewable source; output rate unknown | Officially documented | Observe the isolated source before sizing consumers. |
| Cryoblaster Snow → Steam → Rain | Yes, as a documented renewable path; net rate unknown | Officially documented | Capture the return in a visible basin. |
| Existing Water closed loop | Do not rely on it as new supply | Conflicting community reports | Separate recycling from a true external input. |
| Loop that stops after reload | No | Version-sensitive or glitch behavior | Remove it from the production-supply budget. |
Use the main Water guide for ordinary sources, containment, leaks, and flow. If Water exists but does not move, follow the Pump, Pipe, and Liquid Vent source-to-destination check instead of changing the renewable loop.
Build the officially documented renewable route
- Choose an external renewable input
Use Lumlings or indefinitely generated Cryoblaster Snow; do not begin by recirculating the Water you want to measure.
- Keep Cryoblaster Snow visible
Give Snow a separate chamber so its conversion is not hidden inside an existing reservoir.
- Create Steam with controlled heat
The current official Steam page documents Steam from heated Water or Snow.
- Guide Steam to the sky
Steam that reaches the sky returns as Water rain; the checked current page does not document an enclosed automatic timer.
- Capture Rain before connecting consumers
Use a basin wide enough to make escaped return flow visible.
- Add consumer load last
Start Wet Sand or Wet Seed production only after the unladen source is readable.
Duplication claim, delayed rain buffer, and off-screen behavior
A duplication claim begins with an existing Water pool and says the loop returns more than it consumed. Current community explanations conflict: some players describe multiplication, others describe delayed rain returning from a simulation buffer, and one correction says the effect stops after reload or when the area is no longer being simulated. None of those reports establishes one universal multiplier or permanent layout.
Save and reload test
- Pause every consumer
Wet Sand, Wet Seed, and other sinks must not hide whether the source itself changes.
- Mark the starting basin
Use fixed geometry rather than moving droplets or a short visual impression.
- Wait for delayed Rain
Do not count visible return until Steam and rain have completed the cycle.
- Move away and return
Off-screen behavior is part of the current conflict and must not be assumed equivalent to active simulation.
- Save and reload
Repeat the same observation after restart before classifying any net gain.
- Apply consumer load
A stable source must still cover the real factory demand; visible temporary gain is not a supply rate.
| Claim | Source date | Evidence type | Current conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumlings provide Water | Official page checked 2026-08-23 | Officially documented | Renewable source; rate unknown. |
| Cryoblaster Snow can become Steam and Rain | Official pages checked 2026-08-23 | Officially documented | Renewable path; stable net rate unknown. |
| Existing Water visibly multiplies | Community threads from 2026-08-15 to 2026-08-17 | Conflicting information | Do not count as stable supply. |
| The apparent gain fails after reload or off-screen simulation | Community correction checked 2026-08-23 | Players report | Treat the affected layout as version-sensitive. |
| Symptom | Likely boundary | Minimum check |
|---|---|---|
| Snow never becomes Steam | Heat does not reach the Snow path. | Separate the chamber and confirm the heat source. |
| Steam rises but Rain misses the basin | The sky-return route lands outside collection. | Widen the basin or redirect the vertical route. |
| Water gain disappears after reload | Restart-sensitive simulation or glitch. | Stop treating the loop as production supply. |
| The level falls under consumer load | Demand exceeds the unknown renewable output. | Pause consumers and observe the source alone. |
| The gain appears only after returning on-screen | Delayed buffer or off-screen simulation may be involved. | Repeat with fixed timing and do not infer new Water. |
Update record
- 2026-08-23 — Added the direct Yes/No decision, stable-supply table, off-screen and reload checks, and removed the unsupported current enclosed-Steam timer.
- 2026-08-22 — Restored the independent self-canonical page and separated renewable sources from duplication reports.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sandustry have renewable Water?
Yes. The official Water and Cryoblaster pages document Lumlings and indefinitely generated Snow that can become Steam and return as rain. They do not publish one stable factory output rate.
Is every apparent Water gain a duplication glitch?
No. Documented renewable inputs add supply, while a closed loop that begins with an existing pool may be returning delayed rain, behaving differently off-screen, or failing after reload. Classify the source before calling it duplication.
When is a Water loop stable enough for production?
Only after the source runs without consumers, completes delayed rain, survives save and reload, and still covers measured consumer load. A temporarily higher visible level is not the same as stable net supply.