Cruz del Padre Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato

Cruz del Padre is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico. It serves a population of approximately 7,302 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage the city's wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,296.00 cubic meters per day and currently treats an average daily flow of 691.20 cubic meters. The plant operates under Mexico's national water regulations, which require secondary treatment for municipal wastewater. As a facility serving a small agglomeration, it meets the standard treatment expectations for communities of this size in the region. The treatment process involves biological and physical steps to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies within the Lerma-Santiago-Pacific hydrological basin. This region is part of the larger Lerma River system, which flows westward toward the Pacific Ocean. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality and support the ecological health of the basin's rivers and reservoirs.

The plant discharges into the Lerma River basin, which drains into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake, and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean via the Santiago River. The watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and communities downstream. Protecting this system from untreated wastewater is critical for maintaining water quality and ecosystem services.