I was mid-run when the trade terminal spat back a rejection: your water isn’t Pure. My hands went cold — the market pays for certainty, not promises. You need a simple machine, the right modules, and a plan that doesn’t waste time.
I’ve spent runs as a Water Merchant and poked every vendor in Wild’s Network, so I’ll walk you through how I stop getting laughed out of trading halls and start shipping Pure Water that sells like contraband. Read this and you’ll know which parts to chase, which NPCs to visit, and why that little AquaScan is worth its weight in Credits.
Street vendors sell bottled water after summer blackouts. How to produce Pure Water in Probably Stolen
If you want the Pure Water label, your purifier must hit a 99.90% purification rate — anything less and the machine won’t qualify the product. In practice that means a +100% Quality Water Purifier: no exceptions. I’ve seen players try to shortcut this and watch their stock be downgraded at the register.
How you get to +100% is mechanical: slot Quality modules into your purifier. Those modules drop from scavenging runs and can be purchased from Dr. Jackson or random customers at stalls. Once the stat reads +100%, any jug, pitcher, or bottle you feed into the machine can reach Pure Water, provided the base water grade isn’t dragging the timer out.
Purification speed depends on the input. Rustwater can sit in the machine for nearly a week; High Quality bottles clear in a single night. If you want to stop guessing and start planning, grab an AquaScan — it shows progress, lets you relabel products, and removes the guesswork.
I treat the final module slot like the last tumbler in a lock: get it right and everything opens.
How do I make Pure Water?
Step-by-step: buy or find a Water Purifier, fit it with +Quality modules until the purifier reads +100%, feed in a water container (High Quality speeds up the cycle), monitor with an AquaScan, then collect the 99.90% output labeled Pure Water. If you’re running a production line, label and store fast — market windows close.
How long does purification take?
Timing is a trade-off. Use High Quality bottles for a fast turnaround (overnight) if you want throughput. Use lower-grade water only when you have spare machine time — Rustwater ties up a purifier for almost a week. Keep an eye on production clocks with the AquaScan so you never leave valuable purifier time idle.
A friend of mine bought a purifier on credit and spent the rest of the run chasing modules. How to get the Water Purifier in Probably Stolen
The purifier is sold by specific NPCs for 250 or 300 Credits (about €25 / €30). If you prefer a faster route into water commerce, buy the Water Trading starter kit at Wild’s Network for 250 Credits (€25) or start a run as the Water Merchant specialization — both open the trader roster you need.
The purifier needs steady power. Plan to buy a Recharger for your base or production room so the unit doesn’t stall mid-cycle. If you want a free water supply that doesn’t chew energy, pick up Gutterflow via the Gutterflow on Tap feature at Wild’s Network (250 Credits / €25) and consider the upgrade for an extra 350 Credits (€35). You can also begin runs with Gutterflow already available by choosing the Working Piper perk (-2).
Buy modules from Dr. Jackson when you can; he’s reliable. Random customers sometimes carry what you need, but don’t bank on it — raids and scav runs remain your best source for high-quality modules.
Where should I buy modules and tools?
Short answer: Dr. Jackson for consistency, Wild’s Network for starter kits, and scav runs for rare Quality modules. Don’t sleep on the AquaScan — it’s cheap insurance against wasted run time and bad labels. I’ve used it more than once to relabel a batch before a trade check and saved a haul from downgrades.
Think of a production line as a metronome: steady input, steady power, and the right modules keep the beat and your profits predictable.
If you’re setting up a small refinery or planning a Water Merchant playthrough, these steps will get you competitive Pure Water stock fast — but are you willing to protect your supply when other players smell easy credits?