Ukuchithwa kwamanzi olwandle iphupha elilandelwa ngabantu amakhulu eminyaka, kwaye kukho amabali kunye neentsomi zokususa ityuwa emanzini olwandle kumaxesha amandulo. Ukusetyenziswa komgangatho omkhulu wobuchwephesha bokukhutshwa kwetyuwa emanzini olwandle kwaqala kummandla owomileyo woMbindi Mpuma, kodwa akuphelelanga apho. Ngenxa yokuba ngaphezulu kwe-70% yabemi behlabathi abahlala kwiikhilomitha ezili-120 ukusuka elwandle, iteknoloji yokukhupha ityuwa emanzini olwandle isetyenziswe ngokukhawuleza kumazwe amaninzi nakwimimandla engaphandle koMbindi Mpuma kule minyaka ingama-20 idlulileyo.

Kodwa kwaba yinkulungwane ye-16 apho abantu baqalisa ukwenza imigudu yokukha amanzi acocekileyo kumanzi olwandle. Ngelo xesha, abahloli bamazwe baseYurophu basebenzisa iziko elikwinqanawa ukubilisa amanzi olwandle ukuze bavelise amanzi acocekileyo ebudeni bohambo lwabo olude. Ukufudumeza amanzi olwandle ukuvelisa umphunga wamanzi, ukupholisa kunye nokujiya ukufumana amanzi acocekileyo ngamava emihla ngemihla kunye nokuqala kobuchwepheshe bokukhupha amanzi olwandle.

Ukukhutshwa kwetyuwa kumanzi olwandle kule mihla kuphela emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Emva kwemfazwe, ngenxa yophuhliso olunamandla lwe-oyile yinkunzi yezizwe ngezizwe kuMbindi Mpuma, uqoqosho lwalo mmandla lwakhula ngokukhawuleza kwaye abemi bakhona banda ngokukhawuleza. Imfuneko yobutyebi bamanzi acocekileyo kulo mmandla wawuyinkqantosi ekuqaleni iqhubekile isanda umhla nezolo. Indawo ekhethekileyo yejografi kunye neemeko zemozulu kuMbindi Mpuma, kunye nemithombo yobutyebi yamandla eninzi, yenze ukukhutshwa kwetyuwa emanzini olwandle kwaba lukhetho olusebenzayo lokusombulula ingxaki yokunqongophala kobutyebi bamanzi acocekileyo kulo mmandla, kwaye babeke phambili iimfuno zezixhobo zokukhupha ityuwa emanzini olwandle. .

Ukusukela ngeminyaka yoo-1950, ubuchwephesha bokukhutshwa kwetyuwa emanzini olwandle buye bakhawulezisa uphuhliso lwabo ngokunyuka kobunzima bobutyebi bamanzi. Phakathi kweetekhnoloji ezingaphezulu kwama-20 zokukhutshwa kwetyuwa emanzini ezithe zaphuhliswa, ukukhutshwa kwetyuwa emanzini, i-electrodialysis, kunye ne-osmosis ebuyela umva zonke zifikelele kwinqanaba lemveliso yesikali seshishini kwaye zisetyenziswa ngokubanzi kwihlabathi liphela.

Ekuqaleni koo-1960, itekhnoloji yokukhutshwa kwetyuwa emanzini olwandle enezigaba ezininzi yavela, kwaye ishishini lale mihla lokukhupha ityuwa emanzini olwandle langena kwixesha elikhula ngokukhawuleza.

Kukho ngaphezulu kwe-20 yetekhnoloji yokukhupha ityuwa emanzini olwandle, kubandakanya i-osmosis ebuyela umva, ukusebenza kakuhle okuninzi, ukuvela kwe-flash yamanqanaba amaninzi, i-electrodialysis, i-pressurized steam distillation, i-dew point evaporation, i-hydropower cogeneration, ukuhlangana kwefilimu eshushu, kunye nokusetyenziswa kwamandla enyukliya, amandla elanga, amandla omoya, ubugcisa bokukhupha ityuwa kumanzi olwandle olwandle, kunye neenkqubo ezininzi zonyango lwangaphambili kunye neenkqubo zasemva konyango ezifana ne-microfiltration, i-ultrafiltration, kunye ne-nanofiltration.

Ukusuka kwimbono yokuhlelwa okubanzi, inokwahlulwa kakhulu ibe ngamacandelo amabini: i-distillation (indlela ye-thermal) kunye nendlela ye-membrane. Phakathi kwazo, i-distillation ephantsi yeziphumo ezininzi, i-multi-stage flash evaporation, kunye ne-reverse osmosis membrane indlela zezona teknoloji ziphambili kwihlabathi liphela. Xa sithetha ngokubanzi, ukusebenza kakuhle okuphantsi kwezinto ezininzi kuneengenelo zogcino lwamandla, iimfuno eziphantsi zokucocwa kwamanzi olwandle kwangaphambili, kunye nomgangatho ophezulu wamanzi agalelwe ityuwa; Indlela ye-osmosis membrane ye-reverse ineenzuzo zotyalo-mali oluphantsi kunye nokusetyenziswa kwamandla aphantsi, kodwa ifuna iimfuno eziphezulu zokucocwa kwamanzi olwandle; Indlela yokuphuphuma kwe-flash enamanqanaba amaninzi ineenzuzo ezifana netekhnoloji evuthiweyo, ukusebenza okuthembekileyo, kunye nemveliso yesixhobo esikhulu, kodwa isebenzisa amandla aphezulu. Ngokuqhelekileyo kukholelwa ukuba ukusetyenziswa kwe-distillation ephantsi kunye neendlela ezibuyisela umva i-osmosis membrane yimikhombandlela yexesha elizayo.