There could be 4 types of water in this game and as may jars as you want. Jars/containers should not be determining difficulty for clean water in this game. The type of water and purification process should be.
Radioactive + dirty + infested water (probably most of the game world) = You need a carbon filter, and reverse osmosis filter or UV filter, and boil it to be safe. Real world process! Missing one or more of these steps could give the player a bigger and bigger health/death penalty, or larger chance to get sick. The dew collector can skip the boiling process and just be treated for radioactivity due to the atmosphere. Combine this entire method with iodine tablets to make PURIFIED water.
Dirty, non radioactive infested water (if you can find it, maybe in a bunker toilet) = As simple as running the water through a cloth and boiling it, perfectly drinkable, small chance to get sick. Combine this method with iodine tablets to make PURIFIED water.
Older, stagnant water, (found in 5gal jugs or water bottles) = Can drink as is for a very small chance for a penalty or to get sick, can boil this cleaner water to make PURIFIED water, with no chance of penalty or sickness.
You could find/create/buy these filters/tablets in the game world.
Radioactive + dirty + infested water (probably most of the game world) = You need a carbon filter, and reverse osmosis filter or UV filter, and boil it to be safe. Real world process! Missing one or more of these steps could give the player a bigger and bigger health/death penalty, or larger chance to get sick. The dew collector can skip the boiling process and just be treated for radioactivity due to the atmosphere. Combine this entire method with iodine tablets to make PURIFIED water.
Dirty, non radioactive infested water (if you can find it, maybe in a bunker toilet) = As simple as running the water through a cloth and boiling it, perfectly drinkable, small chance to get sick. Combine this method with iodine tablets to make PURIFIED water.
Older, stagnant water, (found in 5gal jugs or water bottles) = Can drink as is for a very small chance for a penalty or to get sick, can boil this cleaner water to make PURIFIED water, with no chance of penalty or sickness.
You could find/create/buy these filters/tablets in the game world.