El Chavarín Wastewater Treatment Plant, Colima, Mexico

El Chavarín is a wastewater treatment plant located in the town of El Chavarín, within the municipality of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. The plant serves a population of 4,564 and operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard level for municipal wastewater in Mexico under NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996. The plant has a designed capacity of 604.80 m³/day and currently discharges 432.00 m³/day of treated effluent. As a secondary treatment facility, El Chavarín removes organic matter and suspended solids through biological processes, meeting Mexican regulatory standards for discharge into water bodies. The plant is situated near the Pacific coast, less than 10 km inland, and its treated effluent likely drains into the Pacific Ocean via local streams or the nearby lagoon systems. The region's tropical climate and coastal geography influence the plant's operation and environmental considerations. The plant's discharge contributes to the local watershed, which ultimately reaches the Pacific Ocean. The coastal environment supports diverse marine life, including mangroves and estuaries that are ecologically sensitive. Proper treatment is essential to protect these habitats from nutrient pollution and pathogens, ensuring the health of the marine ecosystem and supporting local fisheries and tourism.

El Chavarín plant discharges into the Pacific coastal watershed of Colima, Mexico. The treated effluent likely flows through local arroyos or drainage channels into the coastal lagoon system near Manzanillo, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. This coastal zone supports mangrove forests, estuaries, and diverse marine species, making it ecologically sensitive to nutrient loading and pathogen contamination. The plant's secondary treatment helps mitigate impacts on these habitats.