Probably Stolen Water Purifier: Energy, Purity Caps & Setup
Put a container with real water in the Purifier, give it power and leave it overnight. It spends 4 energy only on nights it removes something, turns removed contaminants into an equal volume of water, and stops at a purity cap set by machine quality: 99% with no quality bonus, 100% only at raw quality 200.
On this page
Water Purifier at a glance
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Base price | 250 Credits |
| Size | 12 cells (3 × 4) |
| Energy | 4 per night — only spent when contaminants are removed |
| Runs | Overnight, on one inserted water container |
| Volume change | None: removed contaminants become an equal volume of water |
| Sold by | Retired Water Merchant (weekly visit) and Dr. Jackson once Water Trading is unlocked |
How to purify water overnight
- 01
Scan the source first
Use the AquaScan to see what is actually in the container. The Purifier works through large particles first, then minerals, then chemical contaminants and heavy metals, all from one shared budget.
- 02
Insert a container with real water
The machine needs actual water in the mixture. An empty bottle or a pure chemical will not start a cycle.
- 03
Charge the battery
Keep at least 4 energy in its source. A Recharger adds 3 energy per powered night (6 with Commercial Power), and a PowerBloc adds 2 to adjacent machines.
- 04
Rescan in the morning
If residue remains, decide whether the nightly budget ran out (run another night) or the quality cap stopped it (more nights will not help — add quality).
How much it cleans per night
Each night gets a removal budget that grows with the volume in the container (counted up to 10 litres) and with how dirty the water is. Very dirty water gets up to 20× the budget of almost-clean water, so the first night does most of the work and the last fraction of a percent is the slowest.
Machine performance raises the budget. Because every contaminant draws from the same pool, a container heavy with large particles can use the whole night before the machine reaches heavy metals.
Purity caps by machine quality
| Raw quality (Q) | Highest purity |
|---|---|
| Below 15 | 99% |
| 15+ | 99.15% |
| 25+ | 99.35% |
| 50+ | 99.65% |
| 75+ | 99.80% |
| 100+ | 99.90% |
| 200+ | 100% |
These thresholds come from community analysis of the release build. Hotfix 1.0.0.2 reworked purifier logic, so rescan a test batch before relying on an exact cap.
Purifier vs filters, UV and tablets
| Tool | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Water Filter / pitcher | Cheap removal of particles; loses some volume when pouring and misses metals and chemicals |
| UV Lamp | Microorganisms only |
| Purification Tablet | Quick chemical treatment; always rescan afterwards |
| Water Purifier | Heavy metals and chemical pollutants, with no volume loss |
Common questions
Why did my Water Purifier not use any energy?
It only spends its 4 energy on nights when it actually removes contaminants. Clean water, an empty container or a container with no real water will not trigger a cycle.
Why is my water stuck at 99%?
That is the purity cap for a machine with raw quality below 15. Waiting more nights will not pass it; you need quality upgrades. 100% requires raw quality 200.
Where do I buy a Water Purifier?
The Retired Water Merchant stocks one per visit, and Dr. Jackson offers it once Water Trading is unlocked (with a 25% restock chance if you already own one).
Sources & version notes
Community game-data research. Sources reviewed October 31, 2026. This guide does not claim an independent in-game test.
- Nico Wiki: Water Purifier
Budget formula, quality caps, removal order and vendors.
- Nico Wiki: running & powering machines
Overnight order, battery rules, Recharger/PowerBloc energy and output-space warnings. Statically checked against release Build 26284217.
- Steam: hotfix 1.0.0.2 notes
Official note that purifier logic was reworked.