Overview
Santa Maria wastewater treatment plant in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, serves 1,579 people with primary treatment. It discharges 149.47 volume units daily, operating near the Caribbean coast.
Santa Maria is a wastewater treatment plant located in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, serving a small population of 1,579 residents. The facility is situated in the southeastern part of the country, near the border with Belize, and operates under Mexico's national water regulations. The plant provides primary treatment, which involves physical processes like sedimentation to remove solids. With a designed capacity of 172.80 volume units and a current discharge volume of 149.47, it operates at a high utilization rate. As a small facility, it is subject to Mexican wastewater standards (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996) that set discharge limits for pollutants. The plant is located within 10 km of the coast, indicating its discharge likely reaches the Caribbean Sea via local drainage. This proximity to a sensitive marine environment underscores the importance of effective treatment to protect coastal ecosystems and tourism-dependent areas like the Riviera Maya.
Environmental context
The plant's discharge flows into local waterways that drain into the Caribbean Sea, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest coral reef in the world. This region supports diverse marine life, including sea turtles and tropical fish, and is ecologically sensitive to nutrient pollution. Effective wastewater management is critical to prevent eutrophication and protect coral health.
Frequently asked questions
The Santa Maria plant is located on Avenida Efrain Aguilar in Chetumal, Othon P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, Mexico, near the border with Belize.
The plant serves a population of 1,579 people, making it a small-scale municipal facility.
The plant provides primary treatment and discharges treated wastewater at a volume of 149.47 units per day. Its proximity to the coast suggests discharge into local waterways that reach the Caribbean Sea.
The plant protects local drainage systems that flow into the Caribbean Sea, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, a critical marine ecosystem.
The plant operates under Mexico's NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996 standard, which sets maximum permissible limits for pollutants in wastewater discharges. Primary treatment is typical for small communities, but coastal plants may require additional treatment to meet environmental goals.
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