Potrero del Llano Wastewater Treatment Plant, Colonia Potrero del Llano, Chihuahua

Potrero del Llano is a secondary-level wastewater treatment plant located in Colonia Potrero del Llano, within the municipality of Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico. The facility serves a small population of 706 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or peri-urban community. Its location in the arid northern region of Mexico places it within a water-scarce environment where wastewater treatment is critical for local water reuse and environmental protection. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological process for removing organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 103.68 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 69.12 cubic meters per day, the facility operates below its full capacity. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the National Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets discharge limits for pollutants. For small communities, secondary treatment is typically sufficient to meet these standards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local environment, likely into an arroyo or dry riverbed that feeds into the larger Conchos River basin, which ultimately drains into the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo). This river system is ecologically important for the Chihuahuan Desert, supporting riparian habitats and migratory birds. Proper treatment helps protect downstream water quality in a region where water resources are increasingly stressed by agriculture and climate variability.

The plant discharges into the Conchos River basin, a tributary of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo), which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed is part of the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the most biodiverse deserts in the world, supporting endemic fish species and migratory waterfowl. The region's arid climate makes water quality management crucial for sustaining local ecosystems and agricultural water reuse.