Abasolo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ciudad de México, Mexico

The Abasolo wastewater treatment plant is located in the Tlalpan borough of Ciudad de México, Mexico, serving a population of approximately 3,505 residents. The plant is situated in the Pedregal del Lago neighborhood, part of the larger Mexico City metropolitan area, one of the most populous urban centers in the world. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,296.00 volume units and an average daily discharge of 331.78 units, the plant operates well below its capacity. As a Mexican facility, it falls under national water quality regulations administered by CONAGUA (Comisión Nacional del Agua), which sets discharge standards for municipal wastewater. The treated effluent from Abasolo ultimately drains into the Valley of Mexico basin, a closed basin that historically contained lakes. Today, wastewater from the region is largely channeled through the Grand Canal and deep drainage system to prevent flooding and protect public health. The plant plays a role in reducing pollution loads before discharge into the local water infrastructure.

The Abasolo plant discharges into the Valley of Mexico basin, an endorheic basin that once held Lake Texcoco and other lakes. Today, the basin's hydrology is heavily managed through canals and tunnels that export wastewater out of the valley. The downstream environment includes agricultural areas and the Tula River, which receives much of the region's treated and untreated wastewater. This river flows into the Moctezuma River and eventually the Pánuco River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The ecological health of these water bodies depends on adequate treatment to reduce nutrient loads and pathogens.