Ukukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle bekuyiphupho elilandelwa abantu amakhulu eminyaka, futhi kube nezindaba kanye nezinganekwane zokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle ezikhathini zasendulo. Ukusetshenziswa okukhulu kobuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle kwaqala endaweni eyomile yaseMpumalanga Ephakathi, kodwa akugcini kuleso sifunda. Ngenxa yokungaphezu kuka-70% wabantu bomhlaba abahlala kumakhilomitha ayi-120 ukusuka olwandle, ubuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle busetshenziswe ngokushesha emazweni amaningi nasezifundeni ezingaphandle kweMpumalanga Ephakathi kule minyaka engama-20 edlule.

Kodwa kwaze kwaba sekhulwini le-16 lapho abantu baqala khona ukwenza imizamo yokukha amanzi ahlanzekile emanzini olwandle. Ngaleso sikhathi, abahloli bamazwe baseYurophu babesebenzisa iziko emkhunjini ukuze babilise amanzi olwandle ukuze bakhiqize amanzi ahlanzekile phakathi nohambo lwabo olude. Ukushisa amanzi olwandle ukukhiqiza umhwamuko wamanzi, ukupholisa nokujiya ukuze uthole amanzi ahlanzekile kuyinto yansuku zonke kanye nokuqala kobuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle.

Ukuchithwa kwamanzi olwandle kwesimanje kwaqala kuphela ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II. Ngemva kwempi, ngenxa yokuthuthukiswa okunamandla kukawoyela ngenhloko-dolobha yamazwe ngamazwe eMpumalanga Ephakathi, umnotho walesi sifunda wathuthuka ngokushesha futhi inani labantu lakhula ngokushesha. Isidingo semithombo yamanzi ahlanzekile kule ndawo eyayiwugwadule saqhubeka sikhula usuku nosuku. Indawo eyingqayizivele yendawo kanye nezimo zesimo sezulu zaseMpumalanga Ephakathi, kuhambisana nemithombo yayo eminingi yamandla, kwenze ukuchithwa kwamanzi olwandle kwaba yisinqumo esingokoqobo sokuxazulula inkinga yokushoda kwemithombo yamanzi ahlanzekile esifundeni, futhi kubeke phambili izidingo zemishini emikhulu yokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle. .

Kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1950s, ubuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle buye basheshisa ukukhula kwabo ngokuqina kwenkinga yemithombo yamanzi. Phakathi kobuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini obungaphezu kuka-20 osebuthuthukisiwe, ukucwiliswa emanzini, i-electrodialysis, ne-reverse osmosis konke sekufinyelele izinga lokukhiqizwa kwezinga lezimboni futhi zisetshenziswa kabanzi emhlabeni jikelele.

Ekuqaleni kwawo-1960, kwavela ubuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle obuyizigaba eziningi, futhi imboni yesimanje yokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle yangena enkathini ekhula ngokushesha.

Kunobuchwepheshe obungaphezu kuka-20 bomhlaba wonke bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle, okuhlanganisa i-reverse osmosis, ukusebenza kahle okuphansi okuningi, ukuhwamuka kwe-flash yezigaba eziningi, i-electrodialysis, i-pressurized steam distillation, i-dew point evaporation, i-hydropower cogeneration, ukuhlangana kwefilimu eshisayo, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwamandla enuzi, amandla elanga, amandla omoya, ubuchwepheshe bokukhipha usawoti emanzini olwandle olwandle, kanye nezinqubo eziningi zokwelapha zangaphambi kwesikhathi nezangemuva kokwelashwa ezifana ne-microfiltration, i-ultrafiltration, ne-nanofiltration.

Ngokombono obanzi wokuhlukanisa, ingahlukaniswa ikakhulukazi izigaba ezimbili: i-distillation (indlela yokushisa) kanye nendlela yolwelwesi. Phakathi kwazo, i-low multi effect distillation, i-multi-stage flash evaporation, kanye nendlela yolwelwesi lwe-osmosis ehlehlayo kuwubuchwepheshe obujwayelekile emhlabeni wonke. Ngokuvamile, ukusebenza kahle okuningi okuphansi kunezinzuzo zokongiwa kwamandla, izidingo eziphansi zokugeza amanzi olwandle ngaphambi kwesikhathi, kanye nezinga eliphezulu lamanzi akhishwe usawoti; Indlela yolwelwesi lwe-osmosis ehlehlayo inezinzuzo zokutshalwa kwezimali okuphansi kanye nokusetshenziswa kwamandla aphansi, kodwa idinga izidingo eziphezulu zokulungiswa kwamanzi olwandle; Indlela yokuhwamuka kwe-flash enezigaba eziningi inezinzuzo ezifana nobuchwepheshe obuvuthiwe, ukusebenza okuthembekile, nokukhipha idivayisi enkulu, kodwa isebenzisa amandla aphezulu. Ngokuvamile kukholakala ukuthi i-distillation ephansi yokusebenza kahle nezindlela zokuhlehla ze-osmosis yizikhombisi-ndlela zesikhathi esizayo.