Groundwork Simulator Hoses: Pump Setup and Water Flow

How Groundwork Simulator Hoses Work

Groundwork Simulator hoses carry water through your mining setup, and getting their connections right is part of bringing the wash plant online. Your starting claim uses two pumps to move river water into a holding pond and then supply the mobile trommel. Connect Groundwork Simulator hoses in that order, and watch the pond while you work so your water supply doesn’t become a flooded digging area.

The starting water route has two separate jobs. Pump one replenishes the pond. Pump two draws from that pond and sends water to the washing equipment. Keeping those jobs straight makes setup—and an emergency shutdown—much easier.

Water route	Equipment involved	What it does
River to holding pond	Pump one and its hoses	Fills the pond
Holding pond to mobile trommel	Pump two and its hoses	Supplies the wash plant
Inside the washing operation	Trommel drum, spray bar, and sluice boxes	Washes material and collects concentrate

At the starting pumps, the lower fitting is the intake and the upper fitting is the discharge. Think about where the water needs to enter and where it needs to leave before laying either hose.

This guide covers the launch Early Access setup from October 22, 2026. Start with the tutorial’s highlighted fittings and placement areas; they walk you through the complete water line before excavation begins.

Tip: Learn which pump fills the pond before leaving to collect machinery. That is the pump you need to stop if the pond starts overflowing.

Official page: Groundwork Simulator (store.steampowered.com)

Connect Pump One From the River to the Pond

Your water setup begins at the river pump, away from the mobile trommel. After reading the letter at the caravan, follow the tutorial line down to pump one.

Image: Steam / XYZ STUDIO

Build this connection before preparing the rest of the wash line. The pond can fill while you unfold the trommel and position its conveyor.

Lay the intake and discharge hoses

1. Walk to pump one beside the river.
2. Left-click its lower intake fitting.
3. Carry the hose end into the river and place it in the water.
4. Return to the pump and left-click the upper discharge fitting.
5. Carry that hose toward the empty holding pond.
6. Left-click inside the highlighted pond placement area.
7. Return to the pump switch and press E to start it.

Groundwork Simulator hoses let you place the river intake and pond discharge separately. Take a moment at each end to check the destination instead of rushing back to the switch.

Pump-one task	Control or location	Intended result
Select the intake hose	Left-click the lower fitting	Take the hose toward the river
Place the intake	River water	Give the pump a water intake
Select the discharge hose	Left-click the upper fitting	Take the hose toward the pond
Place the discharge	Highlighted area inside the pond	Direct incoming water into the basin
Start the pump	Press E at its switch	Begin filling the pond

Once the pump runs, water starts collecting in the pond. Follow the tutorial toward the mobile trommel while it fills, but return to check the level as you work.

The important distinction is the discharge destination: pump one empties into the pond. Its output does not connect directly to the mobile trommel in the starting tutorial.

Tip: Before walking uphill, look back at the river pump and remember its position. You will need to reach it again when the pond has enough water.

Connect Pump Two to the Mobile Trommel

The second set of Groundwork Simulator hoses completes the route from stored water to your washing equipment. Prepare the mobile trommel and its feed conveyor as the tutorial directs, then move to pump two near the pond.

Image: Steam / XYZ STUDIO

The trommel begins folded for transport. Stand near its controls and press K to unfold it. Next, use the small conveyor’s controls to position its discharge so material can enter the trommel.

With the machines positioned, connect the second pump.

Build the pond-to-plant connection

1. Select pump two’s intake hose at the lower fitting.
2. Place its free end in the holding pond.
3. Select the discharge hose at the upper fitting.
4. Carry the hose to the mobile trommel.
5. Connect it to the highlighted water fitting on the machine.
6. Return to pump two and press E at its switch.

The two discharge placements serve different purposes. At pump one, you place the hose end inside the pond. At pump two, you attach the discharge to the trommel’s connection point.

Connection	Intake destination	Discharge destination
Pump one	River	Holding pond
Pump two	Holding pond	Mobile trommel water fitting

If you are struggling to finish the plant connection, move around the trommel and look for the highlighted fitting. Aim at that connection point rather than the drum, conveyor, or sluice box.

Before continuing, trace the entire route with your eyes: river, pump one, pond, pump two, trommel. This check helps keep the two water circuits clear in your head.

Tip: Position the washing equipment before completing its hose connection. Follow the tutorial’s machine placement steps so you can approach the trommel fitting without also trying to rearrange the conveyor.

Start the Wash Plant After Water and Power Are Ready

Connecting Groundwork Simulator hoses completes the water line, but the mobile trommel also needs a generator nearby. Water supply, electrical power, and machine controls are separate parts of startup.

Image: Steam / XYZ STUDIO

During the starting tutorial, purchase the generator trailer through the machine dealer and place it near the trommel using machine transport. Follow the highlighted placement area, then stand at the generator controls and press G to start it.

After excavating and delivering material, start the trommel before starting the feed conveyor. The drum and spray bar need to run before the belt brings pay dirt into the plant.

Startup checkpoint	What to check	Action
Pond supply	Pump one routes river water into the pond	Start it when filling is needed
Plant supply	Pump two connects the pond to the trommel	Press E at pump two
Generator	Trailer is positioned near the trommel	Press G at the generator controls
Wash plant	Water and power are ready	Press G at the trommel controls
Feed conveyor	Trommel drum and spray bar are running	Press G at the conveyor controls

Separate the checks when something isn’t working. Recheck the water connections, then the generator, then the trommel controls. A completed hose route is only one part of a working wash line.

The material route matters, too. Your starting operation uses the excavator to load the dump truck, the truck to create a stockpile, and the wheel loader to feed the small conveyor. That conveyor delivers material into the running trommel.

When processing finishes, stop the conveyor first. Let the remaining material finish washing, then stop the trommel before emptying the sluice boxes.

Tip: Check the pond before beginning cleanup. Your attention shifts to carrying concentrate and running the cleanup table, making it easy to forget the river pump.

Prevent Flooding and Plan Around Changing Terrain

Groundwork Simulator hoses keep delivering water while you handle other jobs, and the holding pond can overflow if its supply pump keeps running. At the starting claim, that overflow can spread into the nearby work area.

The mistake is easy to make: you start filling the pond, finish a wash, and drive away to collect the drill truck. By the time you return, the water has reached ground you intended to excavate.

Stop the pump feeding the overflow

If the pond is overflowing, go to pump one at the river and switch it off. Pump two serves the trommel from the pond; switching off that pump does not stop pump one from adding river water.

Use these checks during a working session:

• Check the pond after positioning the conveyor and unfolding the trommel.
• Check it again before leaving the claim.
• Stop pump one when you need to halt incoming river water.
• Revisit the pond after changing nearby terrain.
• Keep the two pump locations easy to recognize.

Shutting down the incoming supply stops that pump from adding more water. Existing overflow still occupies the worksite, so inspect the affected ground before returning to your excavation routine.

Recheck the layout as you dig

Water and terrain interact in Groundwork Simulator. Excavator buckets disturb water, and moving earth with a bulldozer can displace it. Your digging changes the same landscape that contains the pond and surrounds the washing operation.

Inspect the pond edge after working nearby. When moving equipment or expanding the site, plan the water route alongside the digging area, stockpile, and vehicle approaches. Keep room to walk back to both pump switches.

For Groundwork Simulator hoses, a readable layout is useful during both normal operation and troubleshooting. Trace each connection again after rearranging your washing setup rather than relying on where everything used to sit.

In online co-op, divide the work clearly. While one person excavates and another handles transport, assign someone to check the water setup before the team leaves for another task.

Tip: Finish each wash cycle with a quick walk past the pond. Use that moment to check the level, identify which pumps are running, and decide whether more river water is needed.

FAQ

How do you connect Groundwork Simulator hoses?

At the starting pumps, left-click the lower fitting for the intake hose and the upper fitting for the discharge hose. Route pump one from the river to the pond, then route pump two from the pond to the mobile trommel’s water fitting.

Which pump should you turn off when the pond overflows?

Turn off pump one beside the river. It supplies the pond with incoming water. Pump two draws from the pond to supply the trommel, so stopping it does not shut down the river supply.

Why isn’t the trommel running after connecting its hoses?

Complete the remaining startup steps: switch on pump two, position and start the nearby generator, then start the trommel at its controls. Start the feed conveyor after the drum and spray bar are running.

Can you leave the river pump running while you work?

Yes. Pump one can fill the pond while you prepare equipment or handle other tasks. Check the water level regularly and switch it off before continued filling causes overflow.