Iztacalco Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ciudad de México, Mexico

The Iztacalco wastewater treatment plant is located in the Iztacalco borough of Ciudad de México, Mexico. It serves a population of approximately 6,115 residents, treating municipal wastewater from the surrounding urban area. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,123.20 thousand cubic meters per year and an actual discharge volume of 578.88 thousand cubic meters, the plant operates below its full capacity. As a facility in Mexico, it is subject to national water quality regulations, including NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets limits for pollutants in wastewater discharges. For a plant of this scale, secondary treatment is typical and meets the required standards for discharge into receiving waters. The treated effluent is discharged into the local drainage system, which ultimately flows into the Valley of Mexico basin. This basin is an endorheic basin, meaning it has no natural outlet to the sea, and the water is managed through a complex system of canals and tunnels. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting the local environment by reducing pollution loads before the water is reused or evaporated.

The Iztacalco plant discharges into the Valley of Mexico basin, an endorheic basin that historically contained Lake Texcoco. Today, the basin's water is managed through artificial drainage channels that direct flows to the Tula River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. The plant helps protect this sensitive hydrological system by removing pollutants, supporting water quality for agricultural reuse and ecological balance in the region.