Tizapán El Alto Wastewater Treatment Plant, Jalisco, Mexico

The Tizapán El Alto wastewater treatment plant is a municipal facility located in the town of Tizapán El Alto, within the Región Ciénega of Jalisco, Mexico. It serves a population of about 16,967 residents, placing it in the medium agglomeration category under Mexican regulatory frameworks. The plant is situated inland but within 50 km of the Pacific coast, which influences its discharge requirements. As a Mexican wastewater facility, the plant is subject to the country's federal water pollution control standards, including NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996 and NOM-002-SEMARNAT-1996, which set limits for pollutants in treated wastewater discharged to national waters. For agglomerations of this size, secondary treatment is typically required to meet these standards. The regulatory framework ensures that effluent quality is monitored and controlled. The plant's treated effluent ultimately drains into the local watershed, which flows toward the Pacific Ocean via the Lerma-Santiago River system. This river system is ecologically significant, supporting diverse aquatic life and providing water for agriculture and communities downstream. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this basin, reducing pollution loads before discharge.

The plant discharges into the Lerma-Santiago River basin, which flows through Jalisco and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean via the Santiago River and the Gulf of California. This watershed supports a variety of aquatic habitats and is important for regional biodiversity, including migratory fish species. The plant's location within 50 km of the coast means that its effluent can influence coastal water quality, particularly in the nearby Pacific coastal zone.