Lagunillas Wastewater Treatment Plant, Querétaro, Mexico

Lagunillas is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Lagunillas, within the municipality of Huimilpan, Querétaro, Mexico. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,406 residents and is situated in an inland region, over 10 km from the coast. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required for municipal wastewater in Mexico under the national water law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996. With a designed capacity of 172.80 cubic meters per day and an average discharge volume of 133.06 m³/day, the plant operates at about 77% capacity, indicating consistent utilization. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Lerma-Santiago-Pacifico hydrological basin, which flows westward toward the Pacific Ocean. This region is part of the Central Mexican highlands, where water resources are critical for agriculture and domestic use. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids, protecting downstream ecosystems and water quality.

The plant discharges into the Lerma-Santiago-Pacifico basin, a major hydrological system that drains the central Mexican highlands and flows into the Pacific Ocean via the Río Grande de Santiago. This basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and human consumption. The region's semi-arid climate makes water quality management crucial for maintaining ecological balance and agricultural productivity.