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Power Grid Failure and Plumbing

Within the first 30 days, the Knox utility grids will fail. The power grid shuts down, and the municipal water supply runs dry. You must establish independent power and water to survive.

Generators​

To restore power to your base, you need a generator.

  1. The Magazine: You cannot connect a generator without reading the "How to Use Generators" recipe magazine first (unless you took the Electrician profession). Check mailboxes, bookstores, and school libraries to find it.
  2. Fuel: Generators require constant refueling. You must siphon gas from abandoned cars using empty Gas Cans, or pump it directly from a gas station. Keep in mind that gas station pumps require electricity to work, so you must bring a generator to the gas station to power the pumps.
  3. Carbon Monoxide Warning: Never place a generator indoors or on a roof tile that the game registers as "enclosed." The volumetric placement rules are strict. Running an indoor generator will rapidly kill your character with carbon monoxide poisoning. Place it on the grass outside or on a balcony.

Plumbing the Rain Barrel (The Z-Axis Rule)​

When the water shuts off, sinks stop working. You must plumb a sink to a Rain Barrel to get clean, purified water automatically.

The game's isometric perspective makes vertical alignment tricky. The engine requires specific Z-axis placement for plumbing to work:

  • The Rain Barrel must be placed exactly one floor up.
  • It must be either directly above the sink or in one of the 8 immediately adjacent tiles above the sink.
  • You must have a Pipe Wrench actively in your main inventory (not your backpack).

Right-click the sink and select Plumb Sink. Once plumbed, any tainted rainwater collected by the barrel above will be automatically purified when dispensed from the sink.