In the Democratic Republic of Congo, vast amounts of electricity are produced through water. Inga I and II’s hydro-electric plants were designed to produce as much as 1775 MW. At Inga II, 8 Francis turbines receive and eject 320 cubic meters per second of water from the feed channel into the return channel to reunite with the Congo River when in full operation. To ensure the smooth continuation of this process, mechanics, electricians and divers engage in a variety of daily tasks such as maintaining machines and monitoring wires, batteries and the levels, temperatures and pressure of water, oil and air every day. Water must flow in, but must also be kept out, especially when some tasks are conducted inside the Francis turbines when greater rehabilitation work is required. During those times, spaces become accessible that are otherwise closed. Gaps and fissures become visible, the power of water more tangible. Water has the tendency to go where it shouldn’t, creating erosion and pressure on walls, even cracks but also to hold things together. Divers at Inga conduct work under water, filling gaps and fissures or unscrewing gates covered in rust and algae with eyes closed. This paper, based on findings following several months of participant observation in and around the Inga II plant, seeks to explore the way in which workers engage with the difficulties of working in and around, with and at times against water. The particular socio-economic and political context of the location adds to the challenge of conducting particular tasks and controlling water powers. Focussing on the expertise and innovative approaches of some mechanics and the team of divers but also on the way in which local elders engage with water in order to control and appease its powers, at times for private use or for the safety of expatriate workers, this paper illustrates different ways of perceiving and engaging with water. Water here explored as a push for innovation, creativity and the development of new skills provides new insights and ways of understanding water itself and the infrastructures and technologies it creates. This research dialogues with the study of infrastructures in the Global South, environmental anthropology and the study of mechanical modernity.