Santa Rosa Wastewater Treatment Plant, Santa Isabel Ixtapan, Estado de México

Santa Rosa is a wastewater treatment plant located in Santa Isabel Ixtapan, within the municipality of Atenco, Estado de México, Mexico. The plant serves a population of approximately 4,564 residents, providing secondary treatment as part of the local municipal wastewater infrastructure. It operates under Mexico's national water regulations, which require treatment before discharge to protect public health and the environment. The plant has a designed capacity of 1,209.60 m³/day and currently discharges 432.00 m³/day of treated wastewater. As a secondary treatment facility, it removes organic matter and suspended solids through biological processes, meeting standard regulatory requirements for inland discharge. The plant's capacity utilization suggests it operates well below its design capacity, indicating potential for future growth or seasonal variations. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that eventually drain into the Lake Texcoco system, a historically significant basin in the Valley of Mexico. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides important ecological services, including flood control and groundwater recharge. The plant's operation helps reduce pollution loads entering this sensitive lacustrine environment, contributing to regional water quality improvement efforts.

The Santa Rosa plant discharges into the Lake Texcoco basin, a closed hydrological system in the Valley of Mexico that historically formed a series of interconnected lakes. This watershed is ecologically sensitive, supporting migratory bird populations and endemic aquatic species. The treated effluent contributes to maintaining water levels and quality in the basin, which ultimately drains through artificial channels to the Gulf of Mexico via the Tula and Moctezuma rivers. Protecting this watershed is critical for regional biodiversity and groundwater recharge.