Java Edition:Water in the Nether
Water in the Nether has been obtainable using several different methods. Water placed in a traditional manner is intended to instantly evaporate when put into the Nether. This restriction means that no water source, flowing water, waterlogged blocks, or other water requiring blocks can be found in the Nether normally. The acquisition of this discontinued feature is required for other discontinued features and has useful applications.
Obtaining
Ice Melting
Any ice put in the Nether that was melted would not evaporate from Alpha v1.2.0 (when the Nether was introduced) to 12w16a (1.3 snapshot). In 12w17a and later ice melts properly. However, ice can only be obtained in the nether by placing the item. The ice item is only obtainable in 3 version ranges during this period: Beta 1.6 Test Build 3, Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4 to Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5, and 11w49a (refer to ice item page for specifics).
Water Item
From Alpha v1.2.0 (when the Nether was introduced) to 14w21b the water item or flowing water item could be placed in the Nether. These items were only obtainable in Beta 1.6 Test Build 3. In 14w25a (1.8 snapshot), the water item was removed and therefore this method no longer works.
Splash Water Bottle Extinguishing Fire
From 15w31a to 15w33c (1.9 snapshots), flowing water could replace fire in the Nether when extinguished using a splash water bottle. This method only creates temporary flowing water. The very short lived water can be extended using pistons to flow for longer. Examples of contraptions that allows the flowing water to be extended can be found at Moder rator's world download (Video) or MumboJumbo's world download (Video).
The flowing water can become a full water source if kelp or seagrass is placed into downward flowing water in 18w07a (1.13 snapshot) and later. In order to get the water to this version, either updating straight to the version or leaving the flowing water unloaded is required.
Word Tearing and Any Falling Block via Asynchronous Threads
From 14w32a (1.8 snapshot) to 17w46a (1.13 snapshot), asynchronous block updates allow for block palette corruption, and this corruption, when combined with the registry palette type, can allow for the creation of any block that can exist, such as water in the nether. Asynchronous block updates also allow for usage of the "generic method" to create a falling block entity of any existing block in your world.
These falling blocks may also be used to obtain their respective item, if it exists in item form, such as end portal frames. Blocks such as end gateways cannot be obtained as items with this method, as they have no corresponding item. Falling blocks also allow for the placement of both blocks that cannot normally be placed, either due to operator restrictions (e.g. command blocks) or not having an item form (e.g. end gateways).
Conduits
From 18w15a (conduits added to game) to 18w20a any placed conduit was automatically waterlogged.[1] However, conduits cannot be obtained until 18w19a when buried treasure was added, allowing the heart of the sea to be obtained. Therefore, 18w15a and 18w16a can only be used if the conduit is downgraded. These developing conduits also let support blocks onto them. Once placed the conduit can be mined, collected, and replaced to create another source.
Glow Lichen
In 21w03a (1.17 snapshot), glow lichens create waterlogged glow lichen when placed in lava.[2] This method was fixed in the very next snapshot 21w05a (1.17 snapshot).
Throwing Water Block
In the April Fools' version 22w13oneBlockAtATime, the water bucket, seagrass, or kelp could be thrown by the player into the Nether. All three of these blocks will create water once they land. Seagrass and kelp can be picked up by the player by simply breaking the blocks. The water bucket cannot be obtained by filling up a bucket with water in this version. Instead, the water bucket can be obtained from using a dropper/dispenser on a water block, given from an enderman, or found in a fisher's village chest loot
Enderman Carrying Water
Endermen have no check when placing water or a waterlogged block in the Nether. Endermen spawn carrying random blocks with random block states in 22w13oneBlockAtATime including these water blocks. There are 251 blocks that have a 1/2 chance of being waterlogged plus they can spawn carrying kelp, seagrass, or water. This gives a 14.2% chance of enderman spawning with any of these water containing block.[3] The water does not render on the waterlogged blocks and so they cannot be directly observed to determine if they can be used. These endermen can be updated to later versions to place the blocks as well.
Relocation
Water Source Generation
Water sources can be created when at least two water sources flow into an adjacent air block with a solid block underneath. This allows water to be created in new locations but only if water is nearby in the appropriate arrangement. If the water surrounds a location, this can be used to flood the area.
Kelp or Seagrass
When kelp or seagrass is placed into downward flowing water, it creates a source block in that location. This method works in versions 18w07a (1.13 snapshot) and later with the addition of these blocks. The method only works to create new sources downwards from a source.
Sticky Piston Drop
Normally, pistons pushing will cause waterlogged blocks to evaporate. However, if a sticky piston is pushed for less than 2 game ticks and drops the block (doesn't pull it back) then the check is avoided in the code. This allows the waterlogged blocks to be pushed by the sticky pistons into any desired location.
Flying machines can be made using this method for long distance transportation. An example of such a design is shown below:
The machine can be activated by unpowering the bottom piston with the lever. The one piston with a shown face is non-sticky while the other two must be sticky pistons.
Falling Waterlogged Scaffolding
In 18w45a (1.14 snapshot), a bug allows scaffolding that fall to retain its waterlogged state.[4] The falling block can be launched to the desired location and then allowed to settle and it will place water. This also allows water to be catapulted past the world border.
Combos
Waterlogged Lit Campfire
Waterlogged lit campfires can be obtained in the Nether if water in the Nether is updated to 19w08a to 19w09a or 1.14.1 Pre-Release 2 to 1.14.1.
Waterlogged Lit Candle
From 20w45a to 21w13a, the method to obtain waterlogged lit candles can be used with water in the nether if the candle is waterlogged.
Uses
Water Requiring Blocks
Certain blocks require water to exist and so are normally impossible in the Nether. The following blocks only can be obtained in the Nether with water:
- Bubble Column
- Frosted Ice
- Lily Pad
- Frogspawn
- Kelp
- Seagrass & Tall Seagrass
- Sugar Cane (Also possible using Block Replacement Bypass from Alpha v1.0.5 to Beta 1.4_01)
- Any block with waterlogged state true
Drowned Jockey in the Nether
A drowned chicken jockey in the Nether can usually only be obtained by having water in the Nether. This can also be an adult drowned chicken jockey. This is discontinued because stacked mobs cannot go through portals.[5]
Non-Discontinued Uses
Here are some non-discontinued uses of water in the Nether:
- Water item streams for Nether farms
- Fast transportation via dolphin grace or boat
- Fast cobblestone farm
- Extinguishing player on fire
- Kill blazes in farm with water