What Does Fresh Water Do in Civilization 7?

Civilization 7 is an incredibly deep 4X turn-based strategy game where every decision matters. Even placing your settlements in different terrains matters here. But what benefits do you get from settling next to fresh water?

When you try to establish a settlement, the lens shows or highlights fresh water, signaling that it is important. So, what does building next to fresh water do in Civilization 7? Here’s the quick answer.

What Benefits Do You Get From Settling Next to Fresh Water in Civilization 7?

The main benefit of settling near fresh water is dodging a -5 happiness penalty for not having access to fresh water in your town or city. While it isn’t as clear because the UI is messy (one of the main complaints from players), there’s a reason why the fresh water is highlighted through the Settler’s lens, showing it is important.

This is confusing because if you settle in a new town near fresh water, the penalty remains until your next turn. So, it would look like you got a +5 happiness in the next turn. This issue was during the launch and may get fixed, but it could only be a minor bug.

It does make sense that there would be a happiness penalty for no fresh water, but it isn’t as clear because of the UI. Hopefully, this information clears things up.

Happiness is hard to come by, especially when you expand to multiple settlements and enter wars with other leaders. Those small towns could use some extra happiness from a nearby lake or river.

While not all starting locations may have immediate access to fresh water, placing settlements near it when you can is important. If you know you won’t have access to it, you can build some Arenas or anything to compensate for the happiness penalty for your town or city.