Crucero Las Pilas Wastewater Treatment Plant, El Salitre, Aguascalientes

Crucero Las Pilas is a wastewater treatment plant located in the community of El Salitre, within the municipality of Calvillo, Aguascalientes, Mexico. It serves a small population of 1,552 residents, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for a rural or peri-urban area. The plant is situated inland, away from coastal zones, and its operations are part of Mexico's national water infrastructure managed by CONAGUA. The plant employs secondary treatment, which is the standard biological process required under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for municipal wastewater before discharge. With a designed capacity of 129.60 units and a current discharge volume of 146.88 units, the facility operates near its capacity, indicating consistent demand. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies, ultimately contributing to the hydrological basin of Aguascalientes. The region's semi-arid climate makes water reuse and quality management critical for sustaining agriculture and local ecosystems. The plant's operation helps protect downstream water resources, supporting both environmental health and community water security.

The plant discharges into the local watershed within the Aguascalientes region, which is part of the Lerma-Santiago-Pacific hydrological basin. This basin drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Santiago River, supporting diverse aquatic life and agricultural irrigation. The semi-arid climate means that treated wastewater is a valuable resource for maintaining streamflow and ecosystem health, particularly during dry seasons.