Jiquipilco Wastewater Treatment Plant, San Juan Jiquipilco, Estado de México

The Jiquipilco wastewater treatment plant is located in San Juan Jiquipilco, within the municipality of Jiquipilco, Estado de México, Mexico. It serves a population of approximately 6,088 residents, classifying it as a small-scale municipal facility. The plant is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, and its operations are part of the local water infrastructure managed by municipal authorities. The plant employs secondary treatment processes, which typically involve biological degradation of organic matter followed by sedimentation. With a designed capacity of 777.60 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 576.29 m³/day, the facility operates below its full capacity. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the National Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and the Federal Law for the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution, which set discharge standards for treated effluent. The treated effluent from the Jiquipilco plant is discharged into local water bodies that eventually drain into the Lerma River basin, a major hydrological system in central Mexico. The Lerma River flows into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and human consumption. Proper treatment at plants like Jiquipilco helps protect downstream ecosystems and water quality in the Lerma-Chapala basin.

The Jiquipilco plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Lerma River basin. The Lerma River flows westward to empty into Lake Chapala, a critical freshwater resource in central Mexico. The lake supports a rich ecosystem, including endemic fish species and migratory birds, and is a key water source for the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Effective wastewater treatment in the upper basin helps reduce nutrient loading and pollution that could otherwise harm Lake Chapala's ecological health.