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[Hyperlynx]

I've played DF for a number of years, on-and-off, but I've never successfully breached an aquifer before.

I've just tried the double-slit method described at http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Double-slit_method, and followed the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzdUw92pXH4. It's not working for me.

I've got up to pumping the water from the one side to other. The west side is pumped dry. Then the tutorials say to dismantle the pump and go from the other side. As soon as I stop the pump, the side I pumped out just fills up again.

It looks to me like it's not draining into the layer below, and that that's the bit that needs to work for this method to succeed.

Is it just me? Does this technique no longer work?

[PatrikLundell]

The double-slit method still works fine. However, it's very easy to make mistakes, and it takes some time to learn to do it correctly (and to understand how it actually works). You have to follow the instructions very exactly, step by step, typically reading it a couple of times first in order not to screw up by missing some essential detail.

The main reason for failure to drain into the layer below is that the layer below isn't an aquifer, i.e. you've hit the bottom. You can also be unlucky with stone layers and hit a non aquifer inclusion in an aquifer layer.
However, if the slit fills up you have failed to plug the sides of the slit properly (if the layer isn't the lowest one you can do that with a dismantled pump as the water drains into the lower layer, but the lowest layer needs constant pumping until the slit sides have been sealed).

[Bortness]

It sounds like you're just reversing the pump without walling off the aquifer tiles (soil layer) or smoothing them (stone layer) first.  It is the walling off / smoothing that stops the flow of water out of the tile.  Without doing that (rather long and complicated) step, the water will indeed just fill the slit again.

Be ready to unsuspend a LOT of construction jobs when walling off a soil layer.  Needing to unsuspend a lot is not a sign of failure - it is normal.

[pi_Age]

Sounds like you are trying to use the layer below the one you are currently walling as a sink. Did you make sure it is also an aquifer layer? The process to dry the last aquifer layer is a bit different.

I could successfully use that method a few days ago (albeit I had to try multiple times before doing it right - the wiki tutorial is very confusing). From my understandig, the process go as follows: wall off tiles adjacent to 1, change pump direction, wall off tiles adjacents to tile 2. Repeat for 3 and 4.

1##2
3##4

The part where you have to unsuspend the wall construction many times is really boring. I would suggest using DFHack to un-aquifer some tiles so you can focus on actual !FUN! (like breaching the aquifer from below, adjacent to a stair to your magma forges - oh boy  ).

[PatrikLundell]

Note that you need to treat #3 in a rather special way, or you'll end up with no sink for #4 (it's possible to repair that when you realize it, i.e. when #3 overflows as you pump into it, by turning the pump around again, pump it out, and remove one of the wall tiles to get access to a sink, turn the pump around again, and treat #4 the way you should have dealt with #4, turn the pump around again and restore wall you just removed.

The cancellation is indeed a pain, and during the aquifer piercing process I make sure only my two miners have the pump and wall construction jobs and micro manage those dorfs. Otherwise you'll have to wait as Dorf Random 2 at the other side of the map takes up the continuation job as Dorf Random 1 walks away. With only the miners involved the miner that walked away is the one that will take up the job (as the other one is dorfing the pump).

[Hyperlynx]

Yeah, the problem was indeed that there was only one aquifer layer. Doh.

I ended up using my own technique, with pumps to n/s/e/w of a stair column pumping out into aquifer ditches, powered by windmills. I kept thinking "this isn't going to work, because I'm going to have to deal with that second layer of aquifer, but it can be a technique prototype" and then all of a sudden it worked fine because there was in fact only one layer...

Oh well, all good! Thanks, folks.

[Sarmatian123]

Double-slit method will always fail you, if you do it for the first time. It will always fail you repeatedly too. Only experienced players in using double-slit method can use double-slit method without issues.

My issue with double-slit method is, it creates 2x2 up/down stairs, while I need 3x3 up/down stairs. This is also the reason why I have my very own method to breach aquifer, which is more dwarfpower demanding (uses 3/6 pumps instead of 1 pump), but entirely and always fool proof. It is as quick (if not quicker) in breaching aquifer as double-slit method. However I like it, as it can carve out entire rooms in aquifer too, if need be.

[Bortness]

Double-slit method will always fail you, if you do it for the first time. It will always fail you repeatedly too. Only experienced players in using double-slit method can use double-slit method without issues.

Sorry, but this is just not true.  I just did my first and only (so far) aquifer with the double-slit method, first time with no significant problems.  You just need to pay attention and be careful.