Cienega de Ojos Azules Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chihuahua, Mexico

The Cienega de Ojos Azules wastewater treatment plant serves the rural community of Cienega de Ojos Azules in the municipality of Carichí, Chihuahua, Mexico. With a population served of 639, it is a small-scale facility designed to handle local domestic wastewater. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is appropriate for its size and inland location. The plant's secondary treatment level meets the basic standards required for small communities in Mexico under the national water law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales). The designed capacity of 138.24 m³/day and current discharge volume of 60.48 m³/day indicate the plant is operating below its capacity, suggesting room for future growth. The plant discharges treated wastewater into local watercourses that eventually drain into the Rio Conchos basin, a tributary of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo). This inland location, far from coastal areas, reduces direct marine impact. The surrounding Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem relies on these water bodies for sustaining local biodiversity and agricultural activities.

The plant's treated effluent enters local streams that flow into the Rio Conchos, a major tributary of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo). This river system supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation in the arid Chihuahuan Desert region. Downstream, the Rio Grande eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico, making water quality management important for both local ecosystems and international watershed health.