本文总结了水净化的历史，包括:埃及、希腊和罗马在水净化方面的努力；黑暗时代和文艺复兴时期；第一个滤水器专利发明于1745年，由法国人约瑟夫·艾米发明；1804年，约翰·吉布在苏格兰发明了第一座现代滤水厂；19世纪20年代，詹姆斯·辛普森在伦敦发明了慢砂过滤器；美国在内战后的第一次过滤努力；在美国安装慢速砂滤器，然后安装快速砂滤器。 s氯气安全用水时代的到来；以及20世纪消费者和政府的需求。

This article summarizes the history of water purification including: Egyptian, Greek, and Roman efforts at water purification; the dark ages and Renaissance times; the first water filter patent invented in 1745 by Frenchman Joseph Amy; the first modern water filter plant invented in 1804 by John Gibb in Scotland; invention of the slow sand filter in the 1820s in London by James Simpson; the first American efforts at filtration in post-Civil War years; the installation of slow sand, and then rapid sand filters in the U.S.; the advent of the era of safe water with the use of Chlorine; and, 20th century consumer and government demands.