San Miguel del Monte Wastewater Treatment Plant, Morelia, Michoacán

San Miguel del Monte is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. It serves a small community of approximately 2,738 residents, providing secondary treatment to manage local wastewater. The plant operates as part of the region's water infrastructure, contributing to public health and environmental protection. The plant employs secondary treatment processes, which typically involve biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 259.20 cubic meters per day and a matching discharge volume, the facility operates at full capacity. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the National Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and must comply with official standards (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) for discharge quality. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Lerma River basin, a major hydrological system in central Mexico. The Lerma River flows into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and human consumption. Proper treatment at plants like San Miguel del Monte helps protect downstream ecosystems and water quality.

The plant discharges into the Lerma River basin, which flows into Lake Chapala, a critical freshwater resource in central Mexico. The lake supports a variety of fish species and migratory birds, making it an ecologically sensitive area. Effective wastewater treatment is essential to prevent nutrient loading and contamination that could harm aquatic habitats and downstream water users.