La Higuera Del Salado Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sinaloa, Mexico

La Higuera Del Salado is a wastewater treatment plant located in La Higuera, a community within the municipality of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. The plant serves a population of 1,172 and is part of the municipal wastewater infrastructure for the area. It is situated inland, away from coastal zones, and operates under Mexico's national water regulations. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required by Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for municipal wastewater before discharge. With a designed capacity of 207.36 cubic meters per day and a discharge volume of 164.16 cubic meters per day, the plant operates at about 79% capacity. This scale corresponds to a small agglomeration, for which secondary treatment is typically sufficient to meet effluent quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies 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 diverse freshwater and estuarine habitats.

The plant's treated effluent flows into local streams that are part of the Culiacán River basin, which drains into the Pacific Ocean near the city of Culiacán. This watershed supports agricultural activities and provides habitat for various aquatic species. The secondary treatment process helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, mitigating impacts on downstream water quality and the coastal environment.