Overview
Santa Maria Coatepec Zona Oriente is a secondary wastewater treatment plant in Puebla, Mexico, serving about 3,000 people. It discharges treated water into local water bodies, supporting environmental health in the region.
Santa Maria Coatepec Zona Oriente is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Santa María Coatepec, within the municipality of San Salvador el Seco, Puebla, Mexico. The plant serves a population of approximately 3,012 residents, providing essential sanitation services for this community in central Mexico. The facility operates with secondary treatment, which is appropriate for its scale. Under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996 and subsequent updates), secondary treatment is standard for municipal plants to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant has a designed capacity of 285.12 cubic meters per day and discharges a similar volume, indicating full utilization of its capacity. The treated effluent is released into local surface waters, which eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Papaloapan River basin or adjacent coastal systems. This discharge supports the ecological health of downstream aquatic habitats, including wetlands and estuaries that provide critical ecosystem services such as water purification and biodiversity support.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into local streams that are part of the Papaloapan River basin, one of Mexico's major river systems flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and communities downstream. The region's seasonal rainfall patterns influence flow rates, making consistent treatment important for maintaining water quality in receiving water bodies.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located on Calle Miguel Hidalgo in Santa María Coatepec, within the municipality of San Salvador el Seco, Puebla, Mexico.
The plant serves approximately 3,012 residents, making it a small-scale municipal facility.
The treated effluent is discharged into local surface waters that are part of the Papaloapan River basin, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico.
The plant provides secondary treatment, which is standard for municipal plants of this size under Mexican regulations, removing organic matter and suspended solids.
The plant operates under Mexico's NOM-001-SEMARNAT standards, which set discharge limits for pollutants. For small communities, secondary treatment is typically required to protect receiving water bodies.
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