Muñoz Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tlaxcala, Mexico

The Muñoz wastewater treatment plant is located in the municipality of Muñoz de Domingo Arenas, Tlaxcala, Mexico. It serves a population of 2,647, classifying it as a small-scale facility within the state's wastewater infrastructure. The plant is situated on Boulevard Licenciado Tulio Hernández Gómez in the town of Muñoz. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for municipal wastewater before discharge. With a designed capacity of 172.80 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 250.56 m³/day, the facility operates at a utilization rate exceeding its nominal capacity, indicating potential stress on the treatment system. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that ultimately drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Pánuco River basin. Tlaxcala is an inland state with a semi-arid climate, and the plant plays a crucial role in protecting downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems from untreated sewage.

The plant discharges into local streams that feed into the Zahuapan River, a tributary of the Atoyac River, which flows into the Balsas River basin and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean. The region supports diverse aquatic life and is important for agricultural irrigation downstream. Proper treatment helps prevent eutrophication and protects the ecological health of these water bodies.