El Salado Wastewater Treatment Plant, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

El Salado is a wastewater treatment plant located in the town of El Salado, within the municipality of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. The facility serves a population of 2,307 and is classified as a small-scale municipal treatment plant in a rural or peri-urban setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for municipal wastewater before discharge into water bodies. With a designed capacity of 691.20 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 518.40 m³/day, the plant operates at about 75% utilization, indicating adequate capacity for current demand. The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the Pacific Ocean via the Culiacán River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems in the region, which supports agriculture and fisheries.

The plant's discharge contributes to the Culiacán River basin, which flows into the Pacific Ocean near the city of Culiacán. This coastal watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for local fisheries and agriculture. The secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, mitigating impacts on downstream ecosystems and the marine environment.