First wipe of the month, just spawned near the coast, starving, dehydrated, and surrounded by nothing but saltwater. That’s when using the Water Purifier becomes your lifeline in Rust.
It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done… if you know how to use it. (And actually get clean water without dying first)
Step 1: Craft the Thing
You don’t need to learn a blueprint—it’s unlocked by default. You’ll just need:
- 15 Metal Frags
- 10 Cloth
- 1 Empty Propane Tank
The metal and cloth are easy—barrels, animals, recyclers. The propane tank? Slightly annoying. It’s RNG loot from barrels, crates, or by recycling certain items.
Once you’ve got it all, just open your crafting menu and queue it up. No workbench needed. Done in 15 seconds.
Step 2: Set It Up (Campfire Required)
Here’s the catch: you can’t just slap the Water Purifier down on the ground or floor. It must go on top of a Campfire (or a Skull Fire Pit, if you’re feeling edgy).
So:
- Craft and place a Campfire
- Equip the purifier and aim directly at the fire until it gives you a green outline
- Place it
Heads up—if your fire’s too close to a wall or another item, the purifier might refuse to snap. Leave a bit of breathing room.
Also, light and smoke from the fire can give away your base at night. Not ideal for stealthy living. Choose your placement wisely if you want to purify water in Rust for the long run.
Step 3: Add Saltwater
The Water Purifier isn’t magic—it only works on saltwater, not freshwater.
To collect it:
- Use a Water Bucket (holds 2,000ml)
- Or a Water Jug (5,000ml, usually found as loot)
- Or a Bota Bag (meh, low capacity, but craftable)
Stand by the ocean, right-click to fill it up.
Then:
- Look at the top tank of the purifier (the propane-looking part)
- Press E to open it
- Dump your saltwater in
The tank holds up to 5,000ml, so a full Jug fills it perfectly.
Step 4: Fuel the Fire
The purifier doesn’t need power—it just needs the fire lit under it. You’re not cooking in Rust, so it’s much easier.
So:
- Open the Campfire
- Toss in Wood
- Light it up
Once the fire’s going, the purifier starts working automatically. No buttons, no switches.
Step 5: Collect Freshwater
Give it some time. It converts at a 4:1 ratio, so every 4ml of saltwater gives you 1ml of clean water. That means you’ll get:
- 250ml of freshwater per minute if the fire stays lit
To collect:
- Look at the bucket on the side (not the tank)
- Press E
- Either drink straight from it or transfer into your containers
Pro tip: keep spare containers nearby so you can batch collect and keep it running.
Extra Tips
- Use a full 5,000ml of saltwater and a few hundred wood per cycle—more efficient
- Campfire burns ~1 wood per 20ml of water produced, so stock up on Wood, not skins
- Protect your purifier—it only has 150 HP and can be destroyed
- You can repair it with a hammer using Metal Frags and Cloth
Final Thoughts
Using Rust water purifier isn’t glamorous, but early on? It’s a game changer. It’s manual, kinda clunky, and takes some attention—but it gives you a steady water supply when you’re just trying to survive.
Once you’ve got a solid base and maybe a farm going, you’ll probably switch to Water Catchers or the fancy powered setup post oil refinery. But until then, this little purifier keeps you alive.
FAQs
You collect saltwater with a bucket or jug, pour it into a Water Purifier placed on a lit Campfire, and wait while it distills into drinkable freshwater.
Place the Water Purifier on top of a Campfire, add saltwater to the top tank, fuel and light the fire, then collect clean water from the output bucket.
Use a standard Water Purifier to convert saltwater into freshwater. Just add saltwater, keep the fire burning, and the purifier will handle the rest.
It processes about 250ml of freshwater per minute, so a full 5,000ml tank gives you around 20 minutes of purification time.
