San Jose de Morillitos Wastewater Treatment Plant, Durango, Mexico

San Jose de Morillitos is a wastewater treatment plant located in the town of San José de Morillitos, within the municipality of Nuevo Ideal, Durango, Mexico. The plant serves a small population of 913 residents, reflecting the rural character of the area. It operates with secondary treatment, which is appropriate for the scale of the community. The plant has a designed capacity of 112.32 m³/day and currently treats 86.40 m³/day of wastewater, indicating it is operating below its full capacity. Under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996), secondary treatment is required for discharges into national waters, ensuring compliance with national water quality standards for small agglomerations. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Nazas River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting local water resources and downstream ecosystems, including agricultural areas and natural habitats in the arid region of Durango.

The plant discharges into the Nazas River basin, which flows through the semi-arid region of Durango and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean. The watershed supports local agriculture and biodiversity, including species adapted to the dry climate. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to prevent nutrient loading and contamination of these sensitive water bodies.