I did a search, but didn't find a thread specifically answering my queries about water pumps:

1. Is it confirmed that purified water is distributed through the workbench network, and that you can therefore scrap the manual water pumps in "dry" settlements?

2. Does scrapping the water pumps force the settlers to use purified water, thus improving their "happiness"?

3. Is there any negative impact to having a "0" water status in a dry settlement, once you've scrapped the water pumps?

Thx for any (accurate) info!

1) yes.

2) no

3) providing it's not a warning zero then it's basically saying the supply line is providing enough.

Why scrap 'em?

Are they an eye sore?

Well, they do take up space on your size meter, though I would argue that it is negligible at best.

Personally, I see no reason not to keep em around. I try to make my settlements as self sustaining as I can anyway.

Water pumps provide purified water as well.

a point I have never considered!

But, if a waterpump can be placed, and purifiers work for open water sources, doesn't it make sense that the same well dug for a pump would work for the purifiers?

therefore, you should be able to use the purifier in the same location as the pump!

I am thinking about this too much? lol

You can decrease the size meter by dropping weapons on the ground, then go into build mode and store them in the workbench. Take 'em out of the workbench and repeat.

I have read that if the size meter drops below zero it will cause the game to crash do don't over do it.

And yeah, the water pump provides purified water as well. I placed 12 of 'em there just to start collecting some water before I installed two industrial water purifiers and a large generator.

I do delete things I no longer need. Seems to keep the bugginess of new settlers arriving down, as well. That could be just placebo, though.

^^What he said. Scrapping reduces the total water supply. More is Better than Less. Unless you are seriously desperate for the pitiful raw materials that would be recovered (about half of what was spent to build them) , just leave them be.

I thought the water pumps provided dirty water, which was one of the reasons for replacing them?

On my "dry" settlements that are equipped with water pumps, the settlers sometimes say "if only we could get clean water". I assumed that this was the game prompt to upgrade from water pump to purified water via provisioner/workbench?

I keep mine for aesthetics. One near the bathrooms, one near the brahmin and a couple near the crops. I realize they don't really serve a purpose anymore, but, I like their look and find it hard to believe they're watering my crops with bottled water. Seems a bit decedent to me!

I produce enough (way more than enough) water at just a few of my settlements to supply my entire network, but I generally build enough pumps at each settlement to provide 21 water anyway. It provides more of an aesthetic in my opinion, and it all contributes to the supply throughout the whole network. If I'm producing enough water at each given settlement for them to support themselves with it, then it means I have more water at my large scale water farms to sell. Water farming is basically the most lucrative business you can start in the game. I've got somewhere around a quarter million caps currently just from farming and selling water. I can't imagine even needing that many caps throughout the entire course of the game...even with buying every unique weapon/armor you encounter.

If you don't have a purifier keep them as an backup, the provisjoners can get killed. or the status bugged and this might cause issues.

Did you notice that apparently cooking dirty water eradicates the rads? Pump water draws up water that has been filtered through the water table. I believe Bethesda is suggesting that as the water flows down through layers and layers and layers of dirt, the rads get filtered out. (As far as I know, neither of those processes can do that.)

Water Pumps also restore a little health when you use them - handy occasionally. Purifiers don't do that.

There seems to be a limit to how much they produce. I fell asleep one night at the pump, still pumping when i woke up but no water was coming out and it wouldn't fill my health any more. I scrapped it and place a new one that didn't work either, placed one a few feet away and it worked.