Minecraft wiki entry for Legacy_village_mechanics, associated text: With the revisions to the water mechanics introduced in 1.13, this is an effective technique: Place a water source block, followed by several empty blocks at the same level for the water to drain through, then place an ice block under the last waster flow block, then finish by capping it off with a pressure plate or a sign. Repeat the process until you reach your intended destination. (This works best when buried deep underground and while well lit to keep mobs from killing your villagers in transit. Otherwise, you need to build a cover over the area you're using to keep them safe.) Then, if you need to move them upwards, create an upwards bubble column elevator and lift the villagers to the proper location.