ETE Henrique Celestino Wastewater Treatment Plant, Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso

ETE Henrique Celestino is a wastewater treatment plant located in Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The plant serves a population of 1,100 and operates with secondary treatment, which is appropriate for its small scale. It is situated in the metropolitan region of Cuiabá, within the Cuiabá River valley. As a secondary treatment facility, ETE Henrique Celestino meets the basic standards for organic matter and suspended solids removal. In Brazil, wastewater treatment plants are regulated by national standards such as CONAMA resolutions, which set discharge limits for various parameters. For small agglomerations, secondary treatment is typically sufficient to protect receiving water bodies. The plant discharges treated effluent into local watercourses that ultimately flow into the Cuiabá River, a major tributary of the Paraguay River basin. This basin is part of the Pantanal, one of the world's largest tropical wetlands and a critical ecosystem for biodiversity. The plant's operation helps reduce pollution loads entering this sensitive environment.

The treated effluent from ETE Henrique Celestino enters local streams that drain into the Cuiabá River, which flows into the Paraguay River and eventually feeds the Pantanal wetland. The Pantanal is a vast floodplain ecosystem that supports diverse aquatic life, including fish, birds, and reptiles. Maintaining water quality in this basin is crucial for ecological balance and for communities that depend on the river for water supply and livelihoods.