ETE Maracai Wastewater Treatment Plant, Maracaí, São Paulo, Brazil

ETE Maracai is a wastewater treatment plant located in Maracaí, a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The plant serves a population of approximately 10,950 residents, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category under Brazilian sanitation standards. It operates within the Região Imediata de Assis, part of the broader Região Geográfica Intermediária de Marília. Brazil's wastewater treatment sector is regulated by federal laws such as the National Sanitation Law (Law No. 11,445/2007) and CONAMA resolutions, which set discharge standards and treatment requirements. For plants serving populations around 10,000, secondary treatment is typically expected to meet effluent quality standards. It operates within this regulatory framework. The plant discharges treated effluent into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Paranapanema River basin, a major tributary of the Paraná River. This basin supports diverse aquatic life and is important for regional water supply and agriculture. Proper treatment at ETE Maracai helps protect downstream water quality and ecosystem health.

The treated effluent from ETE Maracai flows into local streams that are part of the Paranapanema River basin, which drains into the Paraná River and eventually reaches the Río de la Plata estuary. This watershed supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including fish species important for local fisheries. The region's agricultural activities make nutrient removal a key concern for preventing eutrophication in downstream water bodies.