Milpas Viejas Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tecuala, Nayarit, Mexico

Milpas Viejas is a wastewater treatment plant located in Tecuala, Nayarit, Mexico, serving a population of 2,282. The plant provides secondary treatment, a standard level for communities of this size in Mexico, where federal regulations under NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996 set discharge limits for municipal wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 429.41 m³/day and currently discharges 216 m³/day of treated effluent. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids, meeting Mexican standards for discharge into water bodies. The treated effluent likely flows into local waterways that drain into the Pacific Ocean, as the plant is within 50 km of the coast. The region's watershed supports agricultural activities and estuarine ecosystems, making proper treatment essential for protecting downstream water quality and aquatic life.

The plant's discharge enters local streams that eventually reach the Pacific Ocean near the Nayarit coast. This coastal watershed supports mangrove forests and important fisheries. Secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loads that could otherwise contribute to eutrophication in coastal waters, protecting the ecological balance of the region's estuaries and marine habitats.