Tuxpan de Bolaños Wastewater Treatment Plant, Jalisco, Mexico

Tuxpan de Bolaños is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Tuxpan de Bolaños, within the municipality of Bolaños in the Región Norte of Jalisco, Mexico. The plant serves a small population of 913 residents, reflecting its role in a rural or semi-urban community. Its location in western Mexico places it within the broader hydrological context of the Pacific slope. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological process for removing organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 432 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 86.40 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well below its capacity, indicating room for future growth or seasonal variability. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the Ley de Aguas Nacionales and NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which set discharge limits for pollutants into national waters. The treated effluent is discharged into a local watercourse that eventually drains toward the Pacific Ocean. The region's hydrology is part of the larger Río Grande de Santiago basin, which flows into the Pacific. Protecting downstream water quality is essential for aquatic ecosystems and communities that rely on these waters for agriculture and domestic use.

The plant's discharge enters a local stream that is part of the Río Grande de Santiago watershed, which flows westward through Jalisco and Nayarit before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. This basin supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and human consumption. The region's semi-arid climate means that maintaining water quality in these seasonal streams is critical for ecosystem health and local livelihoods.