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Water Trading
October 20, 2026 at 08:04 PM
Added 2 screenshots from the store gallery (2026-10-20)
Water is one of the main product lines in Probably Stolen. You buy, test, purify, bottle and sell it, and the store page sums up its danger in one word: liability. This page covers water grades, equipment and the Water Merchant start, based on official patch notes and pre-release screenshots ahead of the October 28, 2026 launch.
The Water Trading Manual, shown in a pre-release screenshot, sorts water into six grades by purity. Values may change before launch.
Grade | Purity | Manual Guidance |
|---|---|---|
Pure Water | 99.9% and above | Safe to drink |
High-Quality | 99% to 99.9% | Safe to drink |
Basewater | 98% to 99% | Consume if necessary; prolonged use not advised |
Ghostwater | 96% to 98% | Unsafe and risky for human consumption |
Rustwater | 90% to 96% | Highly toxic; do not consume |
Gutterflow | Below 90% | Highly toxic; do not consume, and seek immediate medical attention if consumed |
The manual warns that water sold on the station may not be labeled correctly, whether on purpose or not, and that quality should always be checked before buying or drinking. A Water Testing Strip is the cheap, easy way to test purity, and the Aquascan scans liquid containers. One pre-release screenshot shows a tester reading of 98.08% on a bottle labeled Basewater, which sits inside that grade's range.
Labels matter because customers check them. Patch notes mention customers confronting the player over an incorrect water quality label. More on inspection tools is on Authentication and Appraisal.
Equipment | What It Does |
|---|---|
Water Purifier | Purifies water; its window has slots for a power source, modules and a water container |
Hydratech Micro Purifier | A purifier that can reach 98% purity |
Water filters | Filter water poured into them; since Update 049 this works with water rations too |
Moisture Farm | Extracts water from the station's humid air overnight; needs energy and a container |
Bottle Printer | Prints bottles; since Update 049 it can be upgraded with electronic parts into the normal and large bottle printer |
Water pitcher | A container classed as a household item |
Machines need power to run. The Machines and Crafting page covers batteries, the Powerbloc and the power service.
Water goods carry a Water tag. Since Update 049, water containers count as water goods only while they hold liquid and as household goods when empty, and market events reprice both the liquid and the container. Premium Spring Water has the Water tag, but customers who are not from the Upper Levels, and tourists, will not accept it. Water rations also appear, including a Sealed Water Ration (Standard) at the Commissary; see Rent and Store Economy.
One pre-release screenshot shows a customer named Georgio with an item labeled 100% Pure Dehydrated Water with the line "Gaze upon... the water of tomorrow!"
The Water Merchant starting scenario arrived with the demo on September 14, 2026. It starts you with the water testing and purification kit already available. Earlier, Patch 48.3.10 had added water upgrades to the playtest but noted that they were not the water starting scenario. See Starting Scenarios and Perks.
Patch 48.3.10 on August 6, 2026 added three water upgrades to Wild's Network: Retired Water Merchant, Gutterflow on Tap and Rustwater on Tap. A developer reply the same week said Gutterflow on Tap and Rustwater on Tap are unlocked through Joe Wild's interface. The two tap upgrades share their names with the two lowest water grades; as of October 20, 2026, official notes have not described what each upgrade supplies beyond its name. The same patch let players buy the water trading guide from Dr. Jackson.
Selling bad water can come back on you. A pre-release screenshot shows a note left for the player that reads: "The Bottle of Water (Small) you sold to my friend killed him! You are going to pay for this!" The store page also warns of mob justice for shopkeepers who cut quality or pass off fakes.
