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Duncan Geere Mojang avatar

You might not consider water a "block" as such, because you can't pick it up and put it in your inventory without the help of a distinctly circular bucket, but we make the rules and we say it's a block. So there.

Duncan Geere[1]

Water is a natural fluid.

Obtaining

PlainsLake

A typical lake of water.

Water does not exist as an item, but can be collected by using a bucket on a full cauldron or water source block.

Natural generation

Water naturally generates in the Overworld to make oceans, lakes, rivers and springs. It also generates in village and desert wells, strongholds and woodland mansions.


Behavior

Swimming

Main article: Swimming

The button for swimming is the same as the button for jumping; players and mobs will sink slowly in water, unless swimming. Holding the swim button will raise the player through the water, and when the surface is reached, the player will bob there. Using the sprint button does not increase swimming speed, despite widening the field of view; it will increase underwater walking speed, however, if the player is touching the ground.

Swimming in water is considerably slower against currents (see Current below), but faster when going with the current.

Most mobs that can stand will also swim any time they are in water, except for iron golems and zombies.

Spreading

Main article: Liquid  § Spread

Water will spread into nearby air blocks. Spreading water will extinguish fire and wash out plants, snow, torches, carpets, tripwire, rails, redstone and cobweb it flows into, dropping them as items.

Source blocks

Infinitewater1

A 2×2 infinite water source. Water can be taken from any corner.

Infinitewater2

A 3×1 infinite water source.

File:Waterbasin.png

An L-shaped infinite water source.

A water source block will be created from a flowing block that is next to 2 or more other source blocks, and sitting on top of a solid block or another water source block. This is the rule that makes infinite water sources work. Using this, it is possible to create pools of still water by placing water source blocks in a confined area.

Dispensers loaded with a filled bucket will place a water source block in an empty block in front of them when activated. A dispenser loaded with an empty bucket and a water source just in front of it will suck the source into the bucket when activated.

In snowy biomes, water source blocks have a chance to turn into ice, and reappear when ice melts (except in the Nether). Ice will revert to water when broken if there is a block underneath.

Current

The current in a water block determines both what direction it will appear from its texture to be flowing, and what direction an entity such as a player or boat will float from that block.

Water with a current pushes players and mobs at a speed of about 1.39 meters per second, or 25 blocks every 18 seconds.

The horizontal current in a water block is based on a vector sum of the flows to and from that block from its 4 horizontal neighbors. For example, if a block receives water from the north and sends it both south and east, but borders a solid block on its west edge, then the current in that block will be south-southeast, because 2 southward flows (in and out) are combined with only 1 eastward flow (out). Thus, 16 horizontal directions are possible. If a branch in a channel is 2 blocks wide at its entrance, then entities will float into it rather than continuing in a straight line.

Light

Minecraft-underwater-with-and-without-respiration

Under water, with and without the respiration enchantment.

Water reduces light by 2 for every block, in addition to normal dispersion, so visibility lowers as the water gets deeper.

There are three ways of increasing underwater visibility: using a helmet with the Respiration enchantment, or using potions of Night Vision or Water Breathing.

In a later snapshot, the visibility hacks are removed, however, when underwater, vision increases gradually.

Water and lava

Main article: Liquid § Mixing

Water and lava can produce stone, cobblestone, or obsidian based on how they interact.

Damaging mobs

Water will damage endermen, snow golems, and blazes.

Slower mining speed

Players with their head underwater take 5 times the normal amount of time to mine blocks while standing on the ground, or 25 times while not on the ground. However, with the Aqua Affinity enchantment, mining speed will be faster, which is 1× time while on the ground, and 5× time while not on the ground.

Drowning

Main article: Damage § Drowning

Players and mobs (except fish, turtles, dolphins, squid, guardians, elder guardians, and iron golems) have a breath meter which lasts 15 seconds, after which they will take damage from drowning while their head is still below water, taking 2♥ damage per second until they die.

Each level of the Respiration enchantment will add 15 seconds to the maximum time underwater, and will grant an x/(x+1) chance (where x is the Respiration level) of not taking damage after that time: 30 seconds and an average 1♥/second with Respiration I, 45 seconds and an average of 23 damage/second with Respiration II, and 60 seconds and an average of 12 damage/second with Respiration III.

If a zombie drowns underwater, it will start to shake (similar to when a zombie villager is being cured), and eventually turn into a drowned.

Hardening concrete powder

When water comes into contact with concrete powder, the powder hardens into solid concrete.

Sponges

Water will be deleted when it comes into contact with a dry sponge.

Water Bucket


A water bucket is bucket that is filled with water.

To fill an empty bucket with water, use it on a water source block. The block is consumed in the process. Water buckets can also be filled by smelting a wet sponge in a furnace, with an empty bucket in the fuel slot. The bucket will be filled when the smelting process is complete.

Using a full water bucket on a solid block will place a water source block against that block, emptying the bucket. In the Nether, however, the water will evaporate (meaning a water block will not be placed).

A dispenser can also empty a water bucket. When a dispenser with a water bucket inside is activated, the dispenser will place a water block and the bucket inside will revert to an empty bucket.

Water buckets can be used to fill cauldrons.

Water buckets can be used on a fish to create a fish bucket.‌[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).]

Data values

ID

Water/ID

Water spends most of its time as stationary, rather than 'flowing' – regardless of its level, or whether it contains a current downwards or to the side. When specifically triggered by a block update, water will change to 'flowing', update its level, then change back to stationary. Water springs are generated as flowing, and oceans, lakes and rivers are generated as stationary. This happens before most types of generated structure are created, and the main cause of water "glitches" is that generated structures do not trigger a block update to let water flow into them.

Block data

See also: Data values

If bit 0x8 is set, this liquid is "falling" and only spreads downward. At this level, the lower bits are essentially ignored, since this block is then at its highest fluid level.

The lower three bits are the fluid block's level. 0x0 is the highest fluid level (not necessarily filling the block - this depends on the neighboring fluid blocks above each upper corner of the block). Data values increase as the fluid level of the block drops: 0x1 is next highest, 0x2 lower, on through 0x7, the lowest fluid level. Along a line on a flat plane, water drops one level per meter from the source.

Block state

See also: Block states

Java Edition:

Name Default value Allowed values Description
level0 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

If bit 0x8 is set, this fluid is "falling" and spreads only downward. At this level, the lower bits are essentially ignored, since this block is then at its highest fluid level. This level is equal to the falling water above, equal to 8 plus the level of the non-falling lava above it.

The lower three bits are the fluid block's level. 0 is the highest fluid level (not necessarily filling the block - this depends on the neighboring fluid blocks above each upper corner of the block). Data values increase as the fluid level of the block drops: 1 is the next highest, 2 lower, on through 7, the lowest fluid level. Along a line on a flat plane, water drops one level per meter.

Bedrock Edition:
Water and flowing water

NameMetadata Bits Default value Allowed valuesValues for
Metadata Bits
Description
liquid_depth0x1
0x2
0x4
0x8
0 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

If bit 0x8 is set, this fluid is "falling" and spreads only downward. At this level, the lower bits are essentially ignored, since this block is then at its highest fluid level. This level is equal to the falling water above, equal to 8 plus the level of the non-falling lava above it.

The lower three bits are the fluid block's level. 0 is the highest fluid level (not necessarily filling the block - this depends on the neighboring fluid blocks above each upper corner of the block). Data values increase as the fluid level of the block drops: 1 is the next highest, 2 lower, on through 7, the lowest fluid level. Along a line on a flat plane, water drops one level per meter.

Achievements

Icon Achievement In-game description Actual requirements (if different) Gamerscore earned Trophy type (PS4)
PS4 Other
Free DiverStay underwater for 2 minutesDrink a potion of water breathing that can last for 2 minutes or more, then jump into the water or activate a conduit or sneak on a magma block underwater for 2 minutes.20GSilver

Videos

Note: The video states that "Infinite water sources are found all over the world in shallower areas." Ever since the 1.5 update, this is no longer the case — water source blocks form even if there isn't a solid block under them, as long as there is a water source block under it, meaning even deep bodies of water can be used as infinite water sources.

Water/video

Infinite Water Source/video

History

pre-classic
rd-161348The texture for water can now be found within the game.
classic
0.0.12aFile:Water old texture.png Added water.
0.0.19aFile:Water 0.0.19a-13w02a.png The texture for water was changed, adding animation.
Sponges added, which remove water.
indev
January 13, 2010There is now finite water.
Oceans now have infinite water.
Water no longer moves on the surface on its own.
Water now has a 23 probability to evaporate and a 13 probability to copy.
January 22, 2010Water now spawns in level generation as springs and lakes.
infdev
June 15, 2010Buckets can be used to place water.
alpha
1.2.6Lakes were added.
beta
1.5Dropped items in flowing water now move faster.
1.6Rain and snow no longer fall through water.
1.8Because of the change in how land is generated, if a player is in a world that was made pre-1.8 and travels into new chunks, there's a chance that a very, very large ocean may be formed as the ocean biome. There will also be a one-block-high drop in sea level along the discontinuity between the old and new chunks with the old chunks being higher.
Water can be found in the farms and wells of villages.
Two biomes were added that are almost all water: ocean and river.
release
1.0.0Beta 1.9-pre4Respiration and Aqua Affinity enchantments added, which allow more breathing time in water and normal digging speed in water.
?One-block ceilings of opaque blocks immediately below water will have a "leak" particle effect (as with lava), alerting the player that digging that block will unleash a torrent of water. Glass or any other transparent block is exempt from this.
1.3.112w15aDispensers were given the ability to shoot out the liquids inside water buckets. They could also suck up the liquids if activated again.
12w17aRemoved ability to bring water using ice into the Nether.
1.4.212w38aChanged sound when jumping and swimming in water.
The sound of flowing water is now continuous.
The water overlay is a more saturated blue.
1.4.41.4.3-preChanged falling damage rule. Players and mobs do not die from great heights in shallow water.[2]
1.513w02aWater The texture of water is now accessible. Before, the texture was hidden in the code and not accessible by any normal bases.
Water texture was changed slightly to make the ripple effect less visible.
13w03aWater source blocks form even if there isn't a solid block under them.
13w04aFlowing water in Creative mode no longer slows the player down when flying.
1.6.113w17aWater lakes don't generate in deserts anymore.
1.7.213w36aWater pools now generate in the new desert M biome.
Oceans are much smaller.
13w41aWater, ice and portals are now visible through each other.
1.814w25aBlock IDs 8 (flowing water) and 9 (still water) were removed from the /give command.
Now shows a water bucket as the icon when water is used as a layer in Superflat.
1.915w43bNo longer shows the flowing animation when against glass or stained glass.
1.1116w39aWater now generates in woodland mansions.
1.1217w06aWater now hardens concrete powder into concrete, on contact.
upcoming
1.1318w07aItems now float in water.
18w08bWater buckets can now be used to pick up fish mobs.
Changed the player's underwater visibility - the longer a player stays underwater, the better they will be able to see.
18w10aUnderwater visibility now depends on the biome the player is in.
18w10cWater can now be placed in the same block as most of the semi-transparent blocks.
18w10dCan now be placed in ender chests, trapdoors, ladders, and signs.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.1.0Added water. On older devices, the old water texture was used, whereas the newer animated texture was used on more modern devices.
0.7.0Changed texture to new for all devices.
Added water buckets.
0.7.4Water buckets no longer stack to 64.
0.9.0build 1Added water dripping particles.
Lakes were added.
Water can be found in the farms and wells of villages.
Two biomes were added that are almost all water: ocean and river.
Water pools now generate in the new desert M biome.
0.10.0build 1Added smooth lighting for water.
Water uses a dark gray coloration in swamps.
Flowing water can push entities.
build 7Running water now has sounds.
?Water now destroys blocks.
0.14.0build 1Dispensers can now shoot out water from water buckets.
They can also suck up liquids directly adjacent to the side they are facing.
Pocket Edition
1.1build 1Water now generates in woodland mansions.
Water now hardens concrete powder into concrete, on contact.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1CU1 1.0 Patch 1Added water.
TU9Dispensers were given the ability to shoot out the liquids inside water buckets. They could also suck up the liquids if activated again, but a bug prevented the empty bucket from being filled.
TU31CU19 1.22 Patch 3Updated water splash sounds.
Most mobs can now swim in water.

Issues

Issues relating to "Water" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

  • While underwater, the player's FOV (field of vision) is lowered by 10 to simulate light refraction.
  • The old water texture can still be found in the assets and is used in the game if the player is underwater.
  • In Bedrock Edition, the texture of water changes from turquoise to pale blue when viewed from far away.
  • Water buckets can be used to break end portal blocks by placing the water on the side of a block corresponding to a side of an end portal block.
  • Water will display a strange, glitchy flowing texture if adjacent to certain transparent blocks. Despite its ugly and glitchy appearance, this is actually a completely intentional feature.[3]

Gallery

References


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