Overview
Calnali wastewater treatment plant in Hidalgo, Mexico serves 8,476 people with secondary treatment. It discharges 864 m³/day and has a designed capacity of 1,728 m³/day.
Calnali is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Calnali, Hidalgo, Mexico. The facility serves a population of approximately 8,476 residents, reflecting a medium-sized agglomeration in the region. It is situated in the mountainous Sierra Madre Oriental region, which influences local hydrology and treatment needs. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological process for removing organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,728 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 864 m³/day, the plant operates at about 50% capacity. Under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996), secondary treatment is required for discharges into national waters, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Pánuco River basin. This downstream connection highlights the plant's role in protecting both local streams and the broader coastal ecosystem from untreated wastewater pollution.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Pánuco River basin, which flows through the Sierra Madre Oriental and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and communities downstream. The region's steep terrain and seasonal rainfall make proper wastewater treatment critical to prevent erosion and contamination of sensitive freshwater habitats.
Frequently asked questions
The Calnali wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Calnali, in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Its address is Avenida Cuauhtémoc, Tlala, Calnali, Hidalgo.
The Calnali wastewater treatment plant serves a population of approximately 8,476 people, making it a medium-sized facility for the region.
The plant uses secondary treatment, a biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. This is the standard treatment level required by Mexican regulations for discharges into national waters.
The treated effluent from the Calnali plant flows into the Pánuco River basin, which eventually drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The plant helps protect local streams and the downstream coastal ecosystem.
The plant operates under Mexican federal regulation NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets maximum permissible limits for pollutants in wastewater discharges into national waters. Secondary treatment is required for this scale of facility.
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