Cuitzillos Wastewater Treatment Plant, La Piedad de Cabadas, Michoacán

Cuitzillos is a wastewater treatment plant located in La Piedad de Cabadas, Michoacán, Mexico. The facility serves an estimated population of 18,255 residents, placing it in the small-to-medium agglomeration category for Mexican wastewater infrastructure. As a Mexican treatment plant, Cuitzillos operates under the national water quality standards established by the Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), which mandate treatment levels appropriate for the receiving water body. For plants of this scale, secondary treatment is typically required to reduce organic load and suspended solids before discharge. The plant's treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Lerma River basin. The Lerma River flows westward through Michoacán and into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and human consumption downstream.

The plant discharges into the Lerma River basin, which flows into Lake Chapala, a critical freshwater resource in central Mexico. The lake supports a variety of fish species and migratory birds, making water quality management essential for ecological health and regional water security.