Source of the Contamination sends you to investigate what's polluting the water supply in the Dam Battlegrounds. It's one of the simpler quests in ARC Raiders, but the exact location of your objective can be tricky to find if you don't know where to look. This guide walks you through the precise location, recommended prep, and some bonus opportunities to make the most of your trip.
| Quest Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Quest Type | Investigation/Exploration |
| Map | Dam Battlegrounds |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Extraction Required | No (you don't need to extract with any items) |
What to Bring
Loadout Advice
You only need to visit a location and interact with an object for this quest, so there's no reason to risk valuable gear. Running with a free loadout keeps your hard earned resources safe if something goes wrong during the raid.
Useful Items
Quest Objectives
Source of the Contamination has three objectives:
- Reach the Water Treatment Building in the Dam
- Search for the Flood Spill Intake near the Swamp
- Investigate any suspicious objects
Step by Step Walkthrough
Step 1: Get to Water Treatment Control
Water Treatment Control sits on the western side of Dam Battlegrounds, just left of the map's center and to the right of the South Swamp Outpost.
Coming in from the swamp side is your best bet for two reasons. First, it keeps you away from the busier parts of the POI where raiders tend to gather for loot and PvP. Second, it puts you closer to your actual objective, which is on the building's exterior facing the swamp.
Step 2: Find the Flood Spill Intake
The Flood Spill Intake is on the northern edge of Water Treatment Control, facing the swamp. It's on the outside of the building, so you don't need to go inside to finish the quest.
As you come in from the swamp, look for concrete walls around a pool of gross, polluted water. There's a small ramp on the north side of the structure that leads down to the contaminated water.
Water Treatment Control is a yellow grade loot zone, but the barrel you need is nowhere near the risky parts of the area. You can wrap up this quest without dealing with the more dangerous sections of the POI.
Step 3: Interact with the Barrel
In that pool of murky water, you'll spot a barrel floating on the surface. That's what's contaminating the water supply.
Walk up to the barrel and interact with it. That's all it takes to complete the quest. No item collection, no enemy kills, no time limits.
While You're in the Area
You're already at Water Treatment Control, so you might as well grab some extras before heading out.
Loot Worth Grabbing
Water Treatment Control has solid loot even without the Dam Surveillance Key. If you did bring the key, you can access additional containers. The swamp structures nearby also have loot worth checking.
Mushroom Farming
Mushrooms grow on trees throughout the swamp area. You need at least twelve of them to finish all of Scrappy's upgrades back in Speranza, and they're pretty rare. Picking some up while you're already here saves you a dedicated farming trip later.
Getting Out
The Central Swamp Lift is north of Water Treatment Control and gives you an easy exit after finishing the quest. Several raider hatches are also scattered around the area if you need alternative extraction options based on where you are or what threats are nearby.
Troubleshooting
Spawned on the Wrong Side of the Map
Bad spawns are the main headache with this quest. If you end up in the far north or south, you're looking at a long run to reach Water Treatment Control. Pack enough Adrenaline Shots to keep moving, route through covered terrain when possible, steer clear of PvP hotspots along the way, and stay alert for aerial threats during the journey.
Can't Find the Objective
Next Quest
After you finish Source of the Contamination, your next objective is a quest called Switching the Supply, which continues the Dam Battlegrounds questline.