Tres Bocas Wastewater Treatment Plant, Veracruz, Mexico

Tres Bocas is a wastewater treatment plant located in the locality of Tres Bocas, within the municipality of San Rafael, Veracruz, Mexico. It serves a small population of 913 people, reflecting its role in a rural or semi-urban setting along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment level for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity and discharge volume of 86.40 cubic meters, it operates at full capacity. Mexican wastewater treatment plants are regulated under NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets limits for pollutants in treated wastewater discharged into national waters. The plant's proximity to the coast (within 10 km) means its treated effluent likely drains into the Gulf of Mexico, either directly or via a small coastal stream. This coastal discharge requires careful management to protect marine ecosystems, including coastal lagoons and mangrove areas that are ecologically sensitive and support diverse aquatic life.

The plant is situated near the Gulf of Mexico coast in Veracruz, a region characterized by coastal lagoons, estuaries, and mangrove forests. Treated wastewater from Tres Bocas likely enters a small coastal watercourse that flows into the Gulf, contributing to the freshwater and nutrient balance of nearshore marine habitats. The area supports diverse aquatic life, including fish and crustaceans, and is part of a broader coastal ecosystem that provides important nursery grounds for marine species.