Overview
Los Charcos wastewater treatment plant serves 183 people in Independencia y Reforma, Chihuahua, Mexico. It provides secondary treatment and discharges 17.28 cubic meters of treated wastewater daily.
Los Charcos is a wastewater treatment plant located in the rural community of Independencia y Reforma, within the municipality of Matamoros, Chihuahua, Mexico. The plant serves a small population of 183 residents, reflecting its role in providing essential sanitation services to a dispersed rural settlement in northern Mexico. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT) for municipal wastewater. Its designed capacity is 60.48 cubic meters per day, and it currently treats 17.28 cubic meters per day, indicating ample reserve capacity for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local environment, contributing to the protection of groundwater and surface water resources in the arid Chihuahuan Desert region. Proper wastewater management is critical here to prevent contamination of scarce water sources and to support the ecological balance of the surrounding semi-arid landscape.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the local watershed, which is part of the endorheic basin of northern Mexico. The region's arid climate means that surface water is limited, and groundwater is a vital resource for both human consumption and ecosystem health. Proper treatment helps protect the fragile desert ecology, including native vegetation and wildlife that depend on intermittent streams and aquifers.
Frequently asked questions
Los Charcos WWTP is located in the community of Independencia y Reforma, in the municipality of Matamoros, Chihuahua, Mexico.
The plant serves a population of 183 people, indicating a small rural community.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the local environment, likely into an arroyo or dry stream bed that feeds into the regional aquifer system.
Los Charcos provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required for municipal wastewater under Mexican regulations.
The plant operates under Mexico's NOM-001-SEMARNAT standard, which sets maximum permissible limits for pollutants in wastewater discharges to national waters.
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