Trinidad García de la Cadena Wastewater Treatment Plant, La Estanzuela, Zacatecas

The Trinidad García de la Cadena wastewater treatment plant is located in La Estanzuela, within the municipality of Trinidad García de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico. This facility serves a small community of approximately 2,821 residents, providing essential wastewater treatment for the local population. The plant operates with secondary treatment, which is appropriate for its scale and typical for small agglomerations in Mexico. It has a designed capacity of 552.96 m³/day and a current discharge volume of 440.64 m³/day, indicating it is operating below its full capacity. Mexican wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the National Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets discharge limits for pollutants. The treated effluent is discharged into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Río Grande de Santiago and the Río Lerma-Santiago system. The plant plays a key role in protecting downstream water quality and supporting the ecological health of the region's rivers and reservoirs.

The plant discharges into the local drainage basin that feeds into the Río Grande de Santiago, a major river system in western Mexico. This river flows into the Pacific Ocean via the Río Lerma-Santiago basin, which supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for agriculture and communities. The region's semi-arid climate makes water quality management critical for maintaining ecological balance and preventing eutrophication in downstream water bodies.