Puxcatán Wastewater Treatment Plant - La Raya Zaragoza, Tabasco, Mexico

Puxcatán is a wastewater treatment plant located in La Raya Zaragoza, within the municipality of Tacotalpa, Tabasco, Mexico. It serves a small community of approximately 2,191 people, providing secondary treatment to manage local wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 259.20 units and currently discharges 207.36 units, indicating it operates below its full capacity. The plant employs secondary treatment, which is a standard biological process that removes organic matter and suspended solids. 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 like La Raya Zaragoza, secondary treatment is typical and sufficient to meet environmental standards. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that eventually flow into the Grijalva River basin, a major hydrological system in southern Mexico. This basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and human consumption downstream. The plant's operation helps protect the local watershed from untreated sewage, reducing pollution in the region's rivers and streams.

The plant discharges into the Grijalva River basin, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico via the Grijalva-Usumacinta system. This watershed is ecologically significant, supporting mangroves, wetlands, and diverse fish species. The secondary treatment reduces organic load and pathogens, helping maintain water quality in this sensitive tropical ecosystem.