Beginner’s Guide to Making an Infinite Water Source in Minecraft

PDF download Download Article
Create an infinite water source for builds, gardens, and more
PDF download Download Article

In Minecraft, you might build a house or base that doesn't have a water supply nearby. Luckily, you can create your own infinite water supply! In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, from making your infinite water supply to where to obtain water source blocks.

How do I make an endless water source in Minecraft?

  1. Dig a 1x3x1 hole.
  2. Fill two buckets with water.
  3. Pour water into the outer two blocks of the hole.
  4. Harvest water from the center block—it will refill automatically.
Section 1 of 5:

Making an Infinite Water Source

PDF download Download Article
  1. Click or use the left trigger button to mine dirt and grass blocks to dig a hole. The hole can either be a 1x3 rectangle or a 2x2 square, but either way, it should only be one block deep. [1]
    • Materials needed: Shovel (optional). You don’t need any tools for this, but it’s faster if you use a shovel .
    • You can make the hole bigger if you want, but it will take more water to fill.
    • Once the hole is filled with water, the water you take from it will always be replenished.
  2. 2
    Place water into the outside two blocks if you made a 1x3 hole. Equip a bucket of water, then click one of the outside blocks to place a water source block. Then, place another water block on the opposite end of the hole. The water will fill the center block. When the water is level with no visible flow in any direction, you’re finished. [2]
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Place water into diagonal corners if you made a 2x2 hole. Equip a bucket of water, then place the water into any block in your hole. Place a second block of water in the corner that’s diagonally opposite from the first one. The water will level out and have no visible flow. [3]
    • Materials needed: Two buckets of water.
    • If you want to make a bigger area of water, place your water source blocks in every other block, like a checkerboard pattern. [4] If the area is enclosed, alternating blocks around two sides of the perimeter may make the entire water layer into an infinite source—if that happens, the surface of the pool will become still. [5]
  4. Once your infinite water source is finished, you can take as much water as you want—it will automatically replenish itself every time you fill your bucket.
    • Important note: If you made a 1x3 hole, only harvest water from the center block. If you pull water from the two outside edges, it will mess up the generator. [6]
    • If you made a 2x2 hole, you can harvest water from any block and it will refill.
    • Sometimes if you harvest water too quickly it will break the generator and you’ll have to replace the water source blocks. [7]
    5. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

Obtaining Water Source Blocks

PDF download Download Article
  1. It can be any river, lake, or ocean. Minecraft worlds are generated randomly, so you'll need to search the world to find a water source. Luckily, water is pretty common in Minecraft, and you shouldn't have to travel too far. Just make sure you find a solid water source—you can’t fill a bucket with flowing water. [8]
    • You can also place a cauldron on the ground and wait for it to fill up with rain, then pour that into the bucket.
    • A water source block will be still—it won’t have a flow. You can find it in water tanks, reservoirs, and puddles. Flowing water has a current, like a running stream or river.
  2. Once you find a water source block, place the bucket in your toolbar and select it. Stand next to a water source block and right-click or press the left trigger on a block of water. The image of the bucket in your inventory will be filled with water. [9]
    • You’ll need at least two buckets of water to make an infinite water supply, but you can duplicate a water source block if you’re in an area where water is scarce, like the desert.
    3. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

Duplicating Water Source Blocks

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Dig a hole 2 blocks deep and place water in the top hole. Dig 2 blocks down into the dirt or grass. Equip your water bucket, then place the water into the top block in the hole (leaving the bottom block empty). [10]
    • The water will run down into the hole, creating two water blocks, but the bottom block will be flowing water—not a water source block.
  2. 2
    Place bone meal in the bottom block to make kelp. Equip bone meal from your inventory. Click or press the left trigger button to place the bone meal into the bottom water block. The bone meal will transform into kelp, which will then trigger the water to become a water source block. [11]
    • If you need to, you can dig a second hole beside the first one to better see into the bottom block, but you can place the bone meal while standing on the ground.
  3. 3
    Put the water into a bucket to harvest it. Click to destroy the kelp, then equip a bucket and click to add the water to the bucket. If you have two buckets, you can pick up both water blocks at once. Otherwise, use the first block of water to empty the bucket, then come back and pick up the other one. [12]
    4. Advertisement
Section 4 of 5:

Crafting a Bucket

PDF download Download Article
  1. Iron bars are needed to craft buckets. To get iron, you must first mine iron ore from deep within a cave. You then need to locate or craft a furnace and use the furnace to smelt iron ore into iron bars. [13]
  2. Have at least three iron bars in your inventory, then open a crafting table by right-clicking on it or pressing the left trigger button. Select the bucket from the tab with the bucket and apple icon (Java Edition), or the tab with the bed and bucket icon (Bedrock Edition), or the Weapons and Tools tab (PlayStation Edition). Drag the bucket into your inventory. [14]
    • If you have enough iron bars, you can craft multiple buckets to save yourself trips to the water source.
    3. Advertisement
Section 5 of 5:

FAQs

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    How do you make flowing water still in Minecraft? To turn flowing water into a still water source block, trap it between two water source blocks. The easiest way to do that is to dig a 1x3 or 2x2 hole and place water source blocks on the outside or corner blocks.
  2. 2
    Do infinite water sources still work in Minecraft? Yes, you can currently make an infinite water source in Minecraft Java and Bedrock using the approach described above.
  3. 3
    How do you get rid of an infinite water source in Minecraft? To get rid of an infinite water source, replace the block with another block. If you put lava on a water source block, it will either become obsidian (if you’re using a lava source block) or smooth stone if you’re using a flowing lava block). [15]
    4. Advertisement

Video

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Does it work with lava?
    Community Answer
    No.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 37 Helpful 70
  • Question
    Does it work with diamonds?
    Benjamin Krawetzki
    Community Answer
    No. Diamonds are used for crafting, not for an infinite source. If you want an infinite source, go mining.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 44 Helpful 41
  • Question
    Does it work with milk?
    Ellie
    Community Answer
    No. Milk isn't meant to be transferred to one place from another; it's meant to be used in recipes.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 24 Helpful 31
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      6 Easy Steps to Make an Up/Down Water Elevator in Minecraft
      How to
      Make an Automatic Piston Door in Minecraft
      How to
      Make a Minecraft Elevator: 3 Easy Methods
      How to
      Build an Auto Chicken Farm in Minecraft
      A Step-By-Step Guide to Crafting a Gun In Minecraft
      How to
      Make and Use a Redstone Repeater in Minecraft
      How to
      Make an Infinite Cobblestone Generator in Minecraft
      How To Craft a Beacon (and Beacon Tower) in Minecraft
      2 Ways to Make a Minecraft Wool Farm: Automatic & Manual
      How to
      Make a Working Car in Minecraft Java and Bedrock Editions
      How to
      Make a Piston in Minecraft: Crafting Recipe & Directions
      How to
      Make a Simple Flying Machine in Minecraft
      How to
      Make an Automatic Furnace in Minecraft
      How to
      Make a Door That Locks in Minecraft
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/nGffI2CK2Oo?t=64
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/nGffI2CK2Oo?t=64
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/VK5oPO6-ppE?t=25
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/nGffI2CK2Oo?t=177
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/nGffI2CK2Oo?t=243
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/nGffI2CK2Oo?t=64
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/nGffI2CK2Oo?t=106
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/VK5oPO6-ppE?t=5
      9. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Water
      1. ↑ https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/infinite-water-tip
      2. ↑ https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/infinite-water-tip
      3. ↑ https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/infinite-water-tip
      4. ↑ https://www.digminecraft.com/tool_recipes/make_bucket.php
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/VK5oPO6-ppE?t=11
      6. ↑ https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Lava

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Dig a hole to hold your water.
      2. Use a crafting table to craft a bucket out of three iron bars.
      3. Locate a river, lake, or ocean.
      4. Fill the buckets with waters. 5. Return to the hole you dug and dump the water in an empty space.
      6. Repeat for all additional empty spaces.

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 278,034 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Rubio

        Aug 29, 2019

        "I needed to know how to do this and found out. It helped, just like the many other times I've been on wikiHow. ..." more
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement