Fraccionamiento San Manuel y San Francisco Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche

Fraccionamiento San Manuel y San Francisco is a wastewater treatment plant located in Ciudad del Carmen, a coastal city in the state of Campeche, Mexico. The plant serves a population of 5,476 and operates with secondary treatment, which is a standard biological process for reducing organic matter and suspended solids. Its designed capacity is 1,468.80 m³/day, with an actual discharge volume of 518.40 m³/day. The plant operates under Mexico's national water regulations, which are enforced by the National Water Commission (CONAGUA). For secondary treatment plants of this scale, compliance with official Mexican standards (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for wastewater discharge is required, setting limits on pollutants such as biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids. The plant's coastal location subjects it to additional scrutiny to protect marine ecosystems. The treated effluent is discharged into the Gulf of Mexico via local drainage systems. Ciudad del Carmen is situated on the Carmen Island in the Laguna de Terminos, a large coastal lagoon system that supports diverse aquatic life and is an important migratory corridor for birds. The plant's discharge contributes to the overall water quality of this ecologically sensitive area.

The plant discharges into the Laguna de Terminos, a coastal lagoon system connected to the Gulf of Mexico. This lagoon is a critical habitat for fish, crustaceans, and migratory birds, and supports local fisheries. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads, but its proximity to the coast (within 10 km) means that any untreated overflow could directly impact marine water quality and sensitive coastal ecosystems.