Exploring Genshin Impact often leads players to puzzles that require not only attention to detail but also environmental awareness. One such task involves the objective to ‘lower the water level further,’ which appears in several locations across Teyvat, especially in regions like Sumeru and Enkanomiya. This task isn’t always straightforward and can confuse many players due to hidden mechanisms, unmarked switches, or elemental requirements. Understanding how to approach these water-level puzzles can greatly enhance your exploration experience and help you uncover precious loot, hidden chests, and secret domains.
Understanding Water Level Mechanisms in Genshin Impact
What It Means to Lower the Water Level
When Genshin Impact instructs you to ‘lower the water level further,’ it’s usually part of a multi-step puzzle that involves interacting with the environment to drain water from an area. This mechanic is typically used to grant access to lower levels of a cave, ruin, or underground facility that were previously submerged. Successfully lowering the water level reveals stairs, tunnels, and often high-value rewards.
Common Areas Where This Mechanic Appears
Players encounter this objective in several regions. Some of the most notable include:
- Enkanomiya: A zone with intricate water-level systems that must be lowered to access deeper ruins.
- Chasm Underground Mines: Multiple quests here require altering water levels to open up new passageways.
- Sumeru Ruins: Certain Aranara-related quests involve unlocking blocked areas by draining water.
Tools and Characters to Prepare
Bring the Right Elements
Before tackling any water-draining puzzle, it’s a good idea to have a party with a combination of Hydro, Electro, and Pyro characters. These elements are commonly needed to activate mechanisms such as:
- Elemental totems
- Switches connected to runes or doors
- Environmental puzzles tied to Dendro constructs (especially in Sumeru)
Characters like Lumine (Electro or Dendro Traveler), Fischl, Xiangling, and Barbara are frequently useful depending on the location and required elemental interaction.
Use Elemental Sight
Many water level puzzles hide their triggers behind visual distractions. By pressing and holding the Elemental Sight key, you can often reveal hidden elemental paths, energy flows, or switches that might otherwise go unnoticed. Always scan the environment if you’re stuck.
Lowering Water in Enkanomiya
Example: The Serpent’s Heart Puzzle
One of the more complex locations in Enkanomiya involves draining the water from a sunken courtyard at The Serpent’s Heart. To lower the water here, you need to:
- Activate all three elemental totems in the correct order using Hydro and Electro attacks.
- Use the nearby lever after solving a rotating symbol puzzle on the wall.
- Return to the central dais and interact with the mechanism that opens the floodgate.
Once completed, the water drains, revealing a new tunnel that leads to a hidden Luxurious Chest and part of the Evernight Temple domain puzzle.
Lowering Water in the Chasm Underground
Surface and Subterranean Levels
In the Chasm, many areas are initially blocked by water or miasma. To access the deeper areas, players must interact with mechanisms that are often located far from the pool itself. These steps typically include:
- Solving Lumenstone puzzles using your Lumenstone Adjuvant tool
- Following Seelies that lead to elemental switches
- Defeating enemies guarding switches and activating Geo constructs
Make sure your Lumenstone Adjuvant is leveled up, as some switches won’t function unless the tool has sufficient energy.
Lowering Water in Sumeru Ruins
Aranyaka Questline Example
During certain Aranyaka world quests, you will enter temples or ruins where water blocks your path to crucial quest items. To lower the water, you’ll often need to:
- Light Dendro torches in a specific sequence
- Break rocks or vines hiding mechanical levers
- Use Four-Leaf Sigils to reach high ground and interact with distant controls
One specific questline, Varuna Gatha, requires draining a pond to repair a ruin mechanism. Completing this task not only helps progress the story but also opens up a pathway to a secret challenge area with puzzles and rewards.
Tips to Solve Water Level Puzzles Efficiently
Survey the Entire Area
Many players make the mistake of assuming the mechanism to lower the water is located nearby. In reality, it’s often hidden in a different section, sometimes even in a different elevation. Use your mini-map to spot suspicious symbols or unexplored corners that may house the control mechanism.
Rotate Between Evernight and Whitenight in Enkanomiya
If you’re solving puzzles in Enkanomiya, remember that switching between Evernight and Whitenight changes the active state of certain mechanisms. Use the central dais at Dainichi Mikoshi to rotate the world’s state, which can make otherwise inactive totems usable or reveal hidden switches submerged under water.
Take Note of Environmental Clues
Genshin Impact often leaves visual hints, like lit torches, incomplete statue formations, or elemental symbols on the wall. These can indicate the solution pattern for the water-draining puzzle. Also, check the environment for any floating spirits, glowing vines, or broken mechanisms that could point you in the right direction.
Rewards After Lowering the Water
Access to Hidden Areas
Lowering the water level usually opens up a new region for exploration. These areas typically contain:
- Precious Chests or Luxurious Chests
- Quest Items required for progression
- Rare enemy encounters, such as Ruin Sentinels or Abyss Mages
Many puzzles tied to water levels are repeatable or tied to side quests, so revisiting them after story progression can be worthwhile.
Unlocking Secret Domains
Some puzzles that involve lowering water lead to secret domains not marked on the main map. These domains often contain artifact sets, ascension materials, or one-time challenges that grant Primogems. Always investigate the area fully after completing the drainage puzzle to ensure you’re not missing hidden entryways.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to Check Quest Objectives
If you’re trying to lower the water level but nothing seems to be happening, check your active quest log. Some switches are only usable during specific quests, and attempting to interact before triggering the right event will do nothing.
Assuming All Water Can Be Drained
Not all water bodies in Genshin Impact are part of puzzles. Some lakes or rivers are simply decorative or part of the terrain. If there’s no mechanism or quest nearby, chances are you won’t be able to drain that water.
The lower the water level further objective in Genshin Impact offers a rewarding challenge for players who enjoy environmental puzzles and exploration. Whether you’re solving these tasks in Enkanomiya, Sumeru, or the Chasm, understanding how to interact with totems, levers, and elemental mechanics will help you navigate these puzzles with confidence. Bring the right party, observe your surroundings, and make good use of Elemental Sight. Lowering the water is more than just a puzzle it’s a gateway to hidden treasures and deeper lore scattered throughout Teyvat.