ETE BICAS Wastewater Treatment Plant, São Joaquim de Bicas, Minas Gerais

ETE BICAS is a wastewater treatment plant located in São Joaquim de Bicas, a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The plant serves a small population of 299 residents, reflecting its role in a localized community within the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. This level of treatment aligns with Brazilian regulatory standards for smaller agglomerations, ensuring that the effluent meets basic quality requirements before discharge. The treated wastewater is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Rio Paraopeba, a tributary of the São Francisco River basin. This river system supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for downstream communities, making the plant's treatment performance important for regional water quality.

The plant discharges into local streams that flow into the Rio Paraopeba, part of the São Francisco River basin. This watershed supports a variety of fish species and is used for irrigation and drinking water supply downstream. The region's tropical climate and seasonal rainfall patterns influence the dilution capacity of receiving waters, making consistent treatment essential for maintaining ecological balance.