Not every mission in Arc Raiders involves high-tech firefights or heroic last stands. Sometimes, the job is a lot messier-literally. The Water Troubles quest tasks you with trudging through polluted water to collect a vital sample for the District's water supply. It's not glamorous, but it's quick, straightforward, and easy to miss if you don't know exactly where to ARC Raiders Coins go.

This guide walks you through where to start the Water Troubles quest, how to find the Flood Access Tunnel, and how to complete the objective without unnecessary wandering or risk.

Where to Start the Water Troubles Quest

The Water Troubles quest takes place on the Dam Battlegrounds map. If this location sounds familiar, that's because it's the same area used for the Our Presence Up There quest. You won't need to unlock a special instance or travel to a new region-just load into Dam Battlegrounds as usual.

Your destination is Red Lake Balcony, a prominent elevated area overlooking part of the map. While the balcony itself is easy to spot, the actual quest objective is below it, which is where many players get confused.

Finding the Flood Access Tunnel

Once you reach Red Lake Balcony, resist the urge to stay on the high ground. Instead, make your way underneath the balcony structure. Look for a large industrial tunnel entrance, clearly built for water management and drainage. This is the Flood Access Tunnel, and it's the key location for the quest.

The tunnel entrance is wide and unmistakable once you're close, but the path leading to it can be easy to overlook if you're approaching from the wrong angle. If you find yourself circling the balcony or climbing unnecessarily, you're likely too high up. Drop down and search along the lower perimeter until you spot the tunnel opening.

As soon as you step inside the Flood Access Tunnel, your quest log should update, confirming you're in the correct location.

Sampling the District's Water Supply

After entering the tunnel, the objective will change, instructing you to find the intake to the District's water supply and take a sample. This sounds more complex than it actually is.

Proceed through the tunnel until you reach the end. You won't encounter any branching paths or hidden doors-just a straightforward passage leading to a shallow pool of dirty water. The environment here looks exactly like what you'd expect from neglected infrastructure: stagnant water, grime, and industrial debris.

At the edge of this pool, you'll see a tube or pipe partially submerged in the water. This is the intake point you're looking for.

How to Interact with the Water Sample

You don't need to wade deep into the water or search beyond this area. Simply walk up to the tube lying in the shallow pool. When you're close enough, an interaction prompt will appear, allowing you to sample the water.

Interact with it, and that's it-the objective completes instantly. There are no additional steps, no follow-up ARC Raiders Items to collect, and no enemies that need to be defeated for the quest itself.

Completing the Quest and Leaving Safely

Once the water sample is collected, the Water Troubles quest is officially complete. There's no requirement to explore further, loot additional items, or return to a specific NPC within the same run.

At this point, you're free to extract and head back to Speranza whenever you're ready. If you're already low on supplies or don't want to risk lingering in the Dam Battlegrounds, it's perfectly fine to leave immediately after finishing the objective.

Tips to Make the Quest Even Easier

Minimal gear required: Since the quest involves no combat by default, you don't need to bring high-tier ARCR Items or armor.

Stay aware of nearby threats: While the tunnel itself is safe, the surrounding area may still contain enemies depending on your run.

Don't overthink the objective: Many players assume the intake is deeper in the tunnel or hidden behind machinery. It's right at the end-simple and visible.

Pair it with other Dam Battlegrounds quests: If you're efficient, you can complete this alongside other objectives on the same map.

Final Thoughts

The Water Troubles quest in Arc Raiders is a short, no-nonsense mission that rewards careful navigation more than combat skill. As long as you know to head beneath Red Lake Balcony and locate the Flood Access Tunnel, the rest of the quest takes only a few minutes to complete.

If you're working through the game's questline or trying to clear objectives efficiently, this is one of the easiest tasks to knock off your list. 

Arc Raiders features several quests centered around uncovering what happened to survivors left behind on the surface, and A Warm Place to Rest is one of the more somber examples. Rather than focusing on combat or high-value loot, this mission sends you across the Buried City in search of evidence that raiders once lived-and possibly died-there.

While the quest itself is mechanically simple, it requires significant travel and can expose you to both enemy raiders and ARC units along the way. This guide explains where to go, what to interact with, and how to finish A Warm Place to Rest efficiently, so you don't waste time or resources.

Preparation Tips Before You Start

You don't need to extract to complete A Warm Place to Rest, but be prepared for a long trek across the Buried City map. Because of this, running a free loadout isn't always the safest option. You'll likely encounter enemies during the journey, especially if you stray off main paths or get pulled into side fights.

For best results:

Bring at least one reliable weapon

Pack extra healing ARCR Items

Avoid overloading on loot early, since the quest takes you far from common extraction points

Once you're geared up and ready, head into Buried City and begin the search.

Locate the Abandoned Highway Camp

Your first objective is to find the Abandoned Highway Camp, located on the Buried City map. This area sits just southeast of the Grandioso Apartments, making it fairly easy to cheap ARC Raiders Coins reach once you identify the highway.