Overview
San Pedro Ahuacatlán I is a wastewater treatment plant in San Juan del Río, Querétaro, Mexico, serving approximately 88,534 people. It operates under Mexican wastewater regulations for medium-sized agglomerations.
San Pedro Ahuacatlán I is a wastewater treatment plant located in San Juan del Río, Querétaro, Mexico. The facility serves an estimated population of 88,534, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration within the country's wastewater infrastructure. Its location in the semi-arid highlands of central Mexico places it in a region where water resources are carefully managed. As a plant serving this population tier, it is expected to comply with Mexico's official standards for wastewater treatment, NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021, which sets discharge limits for pollutants into national waters. Plants of this scale typically employ secondary treatment technologies such as activated sludge or stabilization ponds to meet regulatory requirements. The designed capacity is noted at 1.00, though the unit is unspecified, indicating the plant's intended scale. The plant's treated effluent likely discharges into a local watercourse that feeds into the San Juan River, part of the Pánuco River basin, which ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico. This downstream connection underscores the plant's role in protecting both local water quality and the broader coastal ecosystem. The region's water resources support agriculture and urban use, making effective treatment essential for public health and environmental sustainability.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge enters a tributary of the San Juan River, which flows into the Pánuco River and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and municipal use in the region. The semi-arid climate makes water quality management critical for maintaining ecosystem health and downstream water availability.
Frequently asked questions
San Pedro Ahuacatlán I is located in San Juan del Río, Querétaro, Mexico, at coordinates 20.424 N, -99.975 W.
The plant serves approximately 88,534 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under Mexican wastewater regulations.
The treated effluent is likely discharged into a local tributary of the San Juan River, which flows into the Pánuco River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.
The plant operates under Mexico's NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021, which sets maximum permissible limits for pollutants in wastewater discharges into national waters.
Plants of this scale in Mexico commonly use secondary treatment processes such as activated sludge or aerated lagoons to meet regulatory standards for organic matter and solids removal.
Nearby plants