Overview
San Rafael Norte is a secondary wastewater treatment plant serving 1,287 people in San Rafael, Chihuahua, Mexico. It discharges 172.80 m³/day of treated effluent.
San Rafael Norte is a wastewater treatment facility located in the rural community of San Rafael, within the municipality of Urique in Chihuahua, Mexico. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,287 people, reflecting its role in managing domestic wastewater for a small agglomeration in a mountainous region of northern Mexico. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is the standard biological process for reducing organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 216.00 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 172.80 m³/day, the facility operates below its design capacity. Under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996 and subsequent updates), secondary treatment is required for discharges into national waters, and the plant's performance is subject to compliance with maximum permissible limits for parameters such as BOD, TSS, and coliforms. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Gulf of California via the Fuerte River basin. The surrounding ecosystem includes semi-arid forests and canyons, supporting diverse wildlife. Proper treatment is essential to protect downstream water quality and aquatic habitats in this ecologically sensitive region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the Fuerte River, which flows through the Sierra Madre Occidental and ultimately reaches the Gulf of California. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and communities downstream. The region's steep terrain and seasonal rainfall make proper wastewater management critical to prevent erosion and contamination of surface waters.
Frequently asked questions
San Rafael Norte is located in the community of San Rafael, in the municipality of Urique, Chihuahua, Mexico.
The plant serves approximately 1,287 people, making it a small-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility.
The plant discharges treated effluent into a local watercourse that is part of the Fuerte River basin, which flows to the Gulf of California.
San Rafael Norte provides secondary treatment, which typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids before discharge.
The plant operates under Mexico's NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996 standard, which sets maximum permissible limits for pollutants in wastewater discharges into national waters.
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