Water Trading
Source water, measure it, process it and sell it to the buyer who accepts its quality.
Evidence: Community Reported · Scope: Steam Demo; exact build varies by mechanic · Source review: 2026-10-11
Water trading can be a low-cost opening route: buy, test, process, retest and sell to matching buyers. Quality thresholds and relabelling outcomes are version-sensitive.
Starter shopping list
- Water neon sign and a household neon sign.
- Pitcher, filter, and water testing kit.
- Containers appropriate to the buyer and volume you plan to sell.
- Cash reserve for utilities and rent.
Wild’s upgrades unlock much of the water route for favour. Check the current menu and price before committing.
Water supplies named in the Demo
In-game descriptions · Demo 25382790 · reviewed 2026-10-11. Availability and full gameplay effects still need verification.
| Item | In-game description |
|---|---|
| Water Testing Kit | A small bottle of color strips used to test water quality. |
| Sealed Water Ration (Standard) | Can be poured into a liquid container for 750ml of Basewater. |
| Sealed Water Ration (Small) | Can be poured into a liquid container for 375ml of Basewater. |
| Water Testing Strip | A testing strip used to accurately determine the quality of a water sample. |
| AquaScan | A device used to accurately determine the quality of a water sample. Displays detected impurities. |
| Bottle of Spring Water | A sealed bottle of water supposedly drawn from a natural spring on a distant planet untouched by any industrial activity. |
2. Identification
Water sold on the station may not be labeled correctly, whether intentionally or not. Always verify water quality before purchase and consumption.
Buy, test, process, sell
- Use the water-trading sign to attract water sellers, then test discoloured or suspicious water before purchasing.
- Unpackage rations or pour a source into a pitcher with the filter equipped.
- Test the processed water. Filtering does not reliably update the label automatically, so apply the correct label only after testing.
- Place a correctly labelled, high-quality container in the case and verify the predicted buyer, budget, and tag.
- Retest after splitting, filling, or mixing containers. Volume and container state can change what the UI reports.
Buyers and quality
A 6000ml container is useful for bulk-water buyers. Corporate Representatives use strip tests. Aim for genuine High-quality water around 99% or higher, then confirm the buyer’s quote. Incorrect quality can be detected by different customer types; do not plan profit around relabelling low-quality water.
Production option
A Moisture Farm produces source water and can be tuned with Quality, Performance, and Efficiency modules. The Machinery page explains the reported step thresholds. Compare its power and container costs with buying from sellers before expanding.
Water quality and base value
Base water value is one Credit per complete 25ml, followed by the quality modifier below. Containers, events, reputation and bargaining affect the quote. Keep measured purity separate from the label.
| Quality | Reported purity | Price modifier | Wine score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure water | 99.9% and above | +100% | +1 |
| High-quality water | 99% to below 99.9% | +50% | +1 |
| Basewater | 98% to below 99% | 0% | 0 |
| Ghostwater | 96% to below 98% | -33% | -1 |
| Rustwater | 90% to below 96% | -75% | -2 |
| Gutterflow | Below 90% | -90% | -3 |
Sources and containers
| Source or container | Reported use |
|---|---|
| Moisture Farm at 0 / +50 / +100 / +150% Quality | Ghostwater / Basewater / High-quality / Pure source water |
| Water ration | Basewater source; unpack before processing |
| Ice Miner during surplus | High-quality source water |
| Gutterflow tap | 250 Wild favour; daily purity approximately 80–89% |
| Rustwater tap | Additional 350 favour; approximately 90–92% purity |
| 3000ml Pitcher | Slot for filter, Kotton or UV; pouring into it activates the fitted item |
| 6000ml jug / 2000ml bottle | Bulk-water storage; stockpiler and other sellers |
| 750ml / 450ml bottle | Early processing or smaller sales; printer upgrades unlock formats |
Tap composition rolls at day start, so multiple same-day fills do not provide independent quality rolls. Pure-labelled stock can attract Tier 3 water buyers even at low value. A 6000ml container is convenient, not a required trigger.
Buyer checks and the scam dispute
Lower-level buyers generally accept Basewater through High-quality; Scavs, thirsty Spacers and crisis buyers can have exceptions. The stockpiler accepts High-quality/Pure but rejects rations. Corporate Representatives carry strip tests.
Water-quality deception is unreliable and changes between builds. Customers considered vulnerable can still detect a false label. Use the correct label for routine sales and check the current test result instead of assuming a scam margin.
Mixing and volume measurement
For two batches, use volume-weighted purity as a starting mixing model:
final purity = (volume A × purity A + volume B × purity B) / (volume A + volume B)
450ml at 97.4% plus 2000ml at 99.4% gives about 99.03% across 2450ml before losses or rounding; retest. To measure 250ml, fill a 3000ml pitcher and remove 2000ml then 750ml. For 50ml, fill a 2000ml bottle and remove 750ml twice and 450ml once. Use empty receivers and check actual amounts.
Later supply and buyer clarification
Scavengers tend to offer smaller volumes with fewer false labels; dedicated water sellers offer more volume with more label risk. Neither is an authenticity guarantee.
An Ice Miner can supply genuine High-quality water during surplus. Test other stock when a mistake is costly; additives, mixing and rounding can cross quality boundaries.
Display actual water to attract buyers. Event pricing can raise estimated value into a higher tier, so a shortage is not required. Check the live preview.
A red label may attract a buyer without improving purity. Retest after processing/dosing and keep customer spiking separate. Generic new anecdotes do not resolve the documented water-scam dispute.
Buy a reusable AquaScan before large water purchases if the cost fits your budget; 300 Credits is only an example quote. Household and Water events can affect its value. A night ration-food purchase may include 750ml Basewater in some runs, but that extra supply is not guaranteed.
Sources
Fan-made guide. Not affiliated with Questing Goose Studio or tinyBuild. Community values retain their source and version conditions; a source-review date does not indicate a new gameplay test.