Cucuchucho Wastewater Treatment Plant, Michoacán, Mexico

The Cucuchucho wastewater treatment plant is located in the town of Cucuchucho, within the municipality of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico. This facility serves a small population of 548 residents, providing essential sanitation services to this rural community in the Lake Pátzcuaro region. The plant employs secondary treatment, a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a design capacity of 86.40 m³/day and an average discharge volume of 51.84 m³/day, the plant operates at about 60% capacity. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the National Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets discharge limits for pollutants into national waters. The treated effluent from Cucuchucho likely drains into the Lake Pátzcuaro basin, a high-altitude lake system in central Mexico. Lake Pátzcuaro is an ecologically sensitive water body that supports diverse aquatic life, including endemic fish species, and is an important cultural and economic resource for local communities.

Cucuchucho is situated in the Lake Pátzcuaro watershed, a closed basin in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The lake is a shallow, high-altitude water body that supports a unique ecosystem, including the endangered Pátzcuaro salamander and migratory waterfowl. Downstream, the basin has no surface outlet, making it particularly vulnerable to nutrient loading and pollution from wastewater discharges. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollution, but the lake's sensitivity requires careful management of nutrient inputs to prevent eutrophication.