Water Grades, Testing and Purification Tools
A filter, a tablet, another pour—and that jug still says Ghostwater. Before you buy another machine, test the liquid. In Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim, the label and the contents can tell different stories. Your next move depends on the measured purity and what is still dirtying the batch. Spot that difference, and questionable stock becomes a business opportunity instead of an expensive counter ornament.
Test the batch before treating it
- Select the container you plan to process or sell.
- Check its liquid volume. Read how much it holds now, rather than the container's maximum capacity.
- Use a Water Testing Strip or AquaScan on the container.
- Read the result. Purity is the percentage of water in the batch. With AquaScan, also inspect the contaminants—the unwanted contents lowering that percentage.
- Compare the reading with the displayed label. A label saying Basewater does not prove the contents meet that grade.
| Testing tool | What it reveals | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Water Testing Strip | The water's purity. | Checking a purchase or the result of treatment. |
| AquaScan | Purity plus the detected contaminants. | Choosing a treatment or finding out why improvement has stopped. |
Neither tool cleans water. Testing tells you what needs work. If a strip shows poor purity but you cannot identify the cause, scan the batch before spending more treatment supplies.
The six water grades
| Grade | Purity |
|---|---|
| Pure Water | 99.9% or higher |
| High-Quality | 99% to below 99.9% |
| Basewater | 98% to below 99% |
| Ghostwater | 96% to below 98% |
| Rustwater | 90% to below 96% |
| Gutterflow | Below 90% |
Ghostwater can look just as clear as better water. Let the test settle the argument. Also compare the percentage before and after treatment: a batch can improve while staying inside the same grade.
Choose the tool for the job
| Tool | Role and use | Check before continuing |
|---|---|---|
| Water Filter | Install it inside a Water Pitcher. It filters incoming water as you pour, removing impurities, microplastics and organic waste. | Remaining durability. It has treatment limits; repeated pours do not guarantee Pure Water. |
| Water Purification Tablets | Add to the water to reduce chemical contamination and treat microbes. Tablets work on chemicals first, then microbes with their remaining effect. | Available tablets and the contaminants left afterward. They do not remove every kind. |
| UV Lamp | Apply to a water container to treat bacteria and other microbes. | The scan afterward. Chemicals and other contaminants can still hold purity down. |
| HydraTech Micro Water Purifier | A handheld device used on a water container to bring dirty contents up to Basewater. | Remaining durability and batch volume. This is separate from the powered machine. |
| Water Purifier | A powered machine that treats water in a loaded container overnight. Modules are upgrades installed in its module grid. | Input container, usable power, installed modules and the machine's current purity limit. |
Treat, retest, then label
- Inspect the measured contaminants. Pick a tool that handles what is actually present.
- Check supplies and condition. Confirm you have tablets or enough remaining durability for the tool you intend to use.
- Apply the chosen treatment. For pitcher filtration, install the Water Filter before pouring water into the pitcher.
- Retest the treated contents. Compare purity and remaining contaminants with the earlier reading.
- Label the measured result. Change the displayed description to match the finished water.
If purity stops rising, stop repeating the same treatment. Check tool condition, then inspect what remains and choose a compatible method. Gutterflow can chew through basic filter durability quickly, so start with a small batch before committing more stock. Cheap water stops being cheap when it eats the equipment.
Check the powered purifier before closing
- Open the Water Purifier and place the intended water container in its container slot.
- Check the power slot for a usable power supply.
- Inspect the installed modules and the current Max Purity reading. Do this before buying upgrades for a target grade.
- Let the machine run overnight.
- In the morning, inspect Contaminant Removed (Last Night), then test the resulting batch.
Retail version note: update 1.0.0.2 on October 28, 2026 reworked Water Purifier logic. Use the current machine readings rather than old demo output calculations. Owning the machine does not establish that its batch has reached Pure Water.
If the overnight reading is unchanged, check the loaded container, power, remaining contaminants and displayed purity limit before spending more Credits. A label changes the description; treatment changes the contents. Once the batch measures correctly, compare it with the buyer's requested product and volume. Cleaner stock still needs the right customer.
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