Contamination Barrier

Contamination Barrier is a landscaping building used to stop the spread of contamination through soil. When placed, a Contamination Barrier prevents contamination from spreading into any dirt block directly beneath it, creating a solid line of protection along the row of tiles it occupies. Barriers do not affect irrigation levels and do not change the moisture state or other ground effects of adjacent tiles.

Placement and interactions follow a few precise rules. A gap in the terrain directly beneath a barrier breaks its protective effect for that position; the barrier only protects tiles that have solid ground under the barrier tile. Contamination can spread diagonally across tiles, so a continuous, gap-free arrangement is required to form an effective wall against diagonal propagation. Barriers do not block ground effects when placed in a strict diagonal line after Update 7; they use a connected texture and the game treats diagonal placements without intended blocking of relevant ground effects.

Practical considerations:

• Use Contamination Barriers to isolate contaminated areas from farmland, water wells, or other sensitive ground-dependent structures by running them along the perimeter of the contaminated zone.
• Ensure no gaps or overhangs exist beneath the barrier tiles; any missing ground under a barrier tile renders that tile ineffective.
• Because contamination spreads diagonally, arrange barriers in a continuous solid wall (no diagonal-only seams) to prevent diagonal bypass.
• Barriers do not alter irrigation; pair them with irrigation management when protecting crops or wetlands from contamination.
• Visual connectivity is provided by the barrier’s connected texture, which helps plan continuous walls and identify unintended breaks.