At the counter
Test the water first. The handheld HydraTech purifier raises it to Basewater; pitcher filters and tablets treat different contaminants. The powered Water Purifier works overnight.
Release 1.0; source reviewed. Not independently play-tested.
Start with a test, not the label
Use a Water Testing Strip or AquaScan before deciding how to treat a container. A label is not proof of its contents, and a filter is not a universal cleaner. Retest after treatment so you sell the resulting grade rather than the grade you hoped to make.
The two water purifiers are different items. The handheld HydraTech Micro Water Purifier acts immediately and raises water to Basewater. The larger Water Purifier is a powered machine that processes its inserted container overnight. Wikily's water reference distinguishes them.
Choose the tool for the contaminant
| Tool | Main job | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher with a Water Filter | Removes several physical impurities | Does not catch microbes |
| Purification Tablet | Chemical and microbial treatment | Does not replace every filtering step |
| UV Lamp | Microbial treatment | Does not solve every other contaminant |
| HydraTech Micro Water Purifier | Immediate Basewater treatment | Has durability |
| Water Purifier | Overnight machine treatment | Needs power and has a purity ceiling |
For the pitcher route, insert the filter, pour the source water through it and test the result. Tablets plus a filtered pitcher can reach Basewater or High-Quality depending on the starting mixture. Do not promise Pure Water from this combination. AllThings.How's release guide describes the workflow and the machine's Max Purity line.
Read the grade after processing
Basewater begins at 98% purity. High-Quality begins at 99%, and Pure Water begins at 99.9%. Use the game's grade readout around a boundary instead of rounding a displayed value yourself.
A Water Purifier needs suitable Quality modules to reach Pure Water. Check its current tooltip before committing a large batch. More time or a second pass cannot be assumed to override a machine's maximum purity.
Use the corrected equipment costs
Launch-week updates changed the economics. Official notes reduced the Moisture Farm to 350 and the Water Filter to 25. The later 1.0.0.5 note corrected the Water Purifier reduction to 250 and confirms that its logic was reworked earlier. These are listed equipment values, not a guarantee that a marked-up seller charges exactly that amount. Official patch notes.
If a buyer refuses the pitcher
Check the requested grade and remaining liquid first. Remove the Water Filter before offering the pitcher: 1.0.0.5 specifically added clearer customer feedback for that situation. Then verify the label against the test and retry the actual transaction.
For a machine that produces nothing overnight, use the power checklist before buying replacement equipment.
Check the record
Sources & version notes
Use the current game prompts when a build changes. This guide distinguishes source review from hands-on testing.
- Wikily: water grades and treatment tools
- AllThings.How: release water workflow
- Official Steam: water balance and 1.0.0.5 corrections