Arena de Hidalgo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tabasco, Mexico

Arena de Hidalgo is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Arena de Hidalgo, within the municipality of Tenosique, Tabasco, Mexico. The plant serves a population of 3,212 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage domestic wastewater from the community. The plant operates with a designed capacity of 864.00 m³/day and currently discharges 648.00 m³/day of treated effluent. As a secondary treatment facility, it meets the standard requirements for organic matter and suspended solids removal. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets discharge limits for pollutants into national waters. The treated effluent from Arena de Hidalgo is discharged into local water bodies that eventually drain into the Usumacinta River basin, one of the largest and most biodiverse river systems in Mexico. The Usumacinta River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, supporting rich aquatic ecosystems and providing water resources for communities downstream.

The plant discharges into the Usumacinta River basin, which flows through the tropical lowlands of Tabasco and Chiapas before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life, including fish species and migratory birds. The region's high rainfall and seasonal flooding make proper wastewater treatment essential to prevent nutrient loading and maintain water quality in downstream ecosystems.