Altata Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sinaloa, Mexico

The Altata wastewater treatment plant is located in the coastal town of Altata, within the municipality of Navolato in Sinaloa, Mexico. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,098 residents, making it a small-scale facility in a coastal community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for municipal wastewater. The designed capacity is 1,149.12 m³/day, with an actual discharge volume of 717.12 m³/day, indicating the plant operates below its design capacity. The treated effluent is discharged into the coastal waters of the Gulf of California, a biologically rich marine ecosystem. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) means its discharge directly influences local marine water quality and the health of nearby estuaries and mangroves.

The plant discharges into the Gulf of California, a semi-enclosed sea known for high biodiversity and productive fisheries. The local watershed includes coastal lagoons and mangrove forests that provide critical habitat for migratory birds and marine species. The discharge of treated wastewater must comply with Mexican standards to protect these sensitive coastal ecosystems from nutrient loading and pathogens.