ʻO ka hoʻomaʻemaʻe wai kai he moeʻuhane i hahai ʻia e nā kānaka no nā haneli mau makahiki, a aia nā moʻolelo a me nā moʻolelo no ka wehe ʻana i ka paʻakai mai ka wai kai i ka wā kahiko. Ua hoʻomaka ka hoʻohana nui ʻana o ka ʻenehana desalination wai kai ma ka ʻāina maloʻo o Middle East, akā ʻaʻole i kaupalena ʻia i kēlā ʻāina. Ma muli o ka 70% o ka heluna kanaka o ka honua e noho ana i loko o 120 mau kilomita o ke kai, ua hoʻohana koke ʻia ka ʻenehana desalination wai kai ma nā ʻāina a me nā ʻāpana ma waho o ka Middle East i nā makahiki he 20 i hala.

ʻAʻole naʻe a hiki i ke kenekulia 16 i hoʻomaka ai ka poʻe e hoʻāʻo e unuhi i ka wai hou mai ka wai kai. I kēlā manawa, hoʻohana ka poʻe mākaʻikaʻi ʻEulopa i ke kapuahi ma luna o ka moku no ka hoʻolapalapa ʻana i ka wai kai e hoʻohua ai i ka wai hou i ko lākou holo lōʻihi. ʻO ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻana i ka wai kai e hoʻohua i ka mahu wai, ka hoʻoluʻu a me ka condensing no ka loaʻa ʻana o ka wai maʻemaʻe kahi ʻike i kēlā me kēia lā a me ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ka ʻenehana desalination wai kai.

Hoʻokumu wale ʻia ka desalination wai kai hou ma hope o ke Kaua Honua II. Ma hope o ke kaua, ma muli o ka ulu ikaika ʻana o ka ʻaila e ke kapikala honua ma ka Hikina Waena, ua ulu wikiwiki ka hoʻokele waiwai o ka ʻāina a piʻi wikiwiki ka heluna kanaka. Ke hoʻomau nei ka koi ʻana i nā kumuwaiwai wai ma kēia ʻāina maloʻo i kēlā me kēia lā. ʻO ke kūlana ʻāina kūʻokoʻa a me nā kūlana aniau o ka Hikina Hikina, hui pū ʻia me kāna mau waiwai ikehu nui, ua hoʻolilo i ka desalination wai kai i koho kūpono no ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i ka pilikia o ka nele o ka wai maʻemaʻe ma ka ʻāina, a ua kau i mua i nā koi no nā lako desalination wai kai nui. .

Mai ka 1950s, ua hoʻonui ka ʻenehana desalination wai i kona hoʻomohala ʻana me ka hoʻoikaika ʻana i ka pilikia kumu wai. Ma waena o 20 mau ʻenehana desalination i hoʻomohala ʻia, ka distillation, electrodialysis, a me ka reverse osmosis ua hiki i ke kiʻekiʻe o ka hana ʻenehana a hoʻohana nui ʻia a puni ka honua.

I nā makahiki 1960 mua, ua puka mai ka ʻenehana hoʻoheheʻe wai kai hoʻoheheʻe i nā pae he nui, a ua komo ka ʻoihana desalination wai kai hou i kahi au e ulu wikiwiki ana.

Aia ma kahi o 20 mau ʻenehana desalination wai kai honua, e like me ka reverse osmosis, ka haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa, ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻana o ka uila, ka electrodialysis, ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻana i ka mahu, ka dew point evaporation, hydropower cogeneration, hot film cogeneration, a me ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka ikehu nuklea, ikehu lā, ikehu makani, ikehu kai hoʻoheheʻe wai kai, a me nā kaʻina hana ma mua o ka mālama ʻana a ma hope o ka mālama ʻana e like me ka microfiltration, ultrafiltration, a me ka nanofiltration.

Mai kahi hiʻohiʻona hoʻohālikelike ākea, hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia i ʻelua mau ʻāpana: distillation (thermal method) a me ke ʻano membrane. Ma waena o lākou, ʻo ka distillation haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa, ka evaporation flash multi-stage, a me ke ʻano reverse osmosis membrane ka ʻenehana nui i ka honua. ʻO ka ʻōlelo maʻamau, loaʻa nā pono haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa o ka mālama ʻana i ka ikehu, nā koi haʻahaʻa no ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa mua ʻana i ke kai, a me ka maikaʻi o ka wai desalinated; ʻO ke ʻano o ka reverse osmosis membrane ka maikaʻi o ka haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa a me ka haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa o ka ikehu, akā pono ia i nā koi kiʻekiʻe no ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻana i ke kai; Loaʻa i ke ʻano o ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻia ʻana o ka uila he mau mea maikaʻi e like me ka ʻenehana oʻo, ka hana hilinaʻi, a me ka hoʻopuka ʻana o ka mīkini nui, akā he kiʻekiʻe ka ikehu. Manaʻo maʻamau ʻo ka distillation haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa a me nā ʻano membrane reverse osmosis ʻo ia nā kuhikuhi e hiki mai ana.