Re: The sounds of a worn water pump -- what are the possibilities?

SOLVED

The problem was not the water pump.  It was the power steering (PS)
pump.  Yet another component driven by the engine.

The fluid was very dirty, causing the PS pump to make noise.

Incidentally, I have learned that the VQ30DE and VQ35DE engines have
some of the best water pumps on the market.  They very rarely
fail--it's usually the rubber gaskets that eventually decay and need
replacing (true for any water pumps).