UABC Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

UABC is a wastewater treatment plant located in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. It serves a population of 1,643 people, making it a small-scale facility within the city's municipal wastewater infrastructure. The plant is situated in an arid region near the US-Mexico border, where water resources are critically managed. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process for removing organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 864.00 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 155.52 cubic meters per day, the plant operates well below its capacity. Under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996), secondary treatment is required for discharges into rivers and streams, ensuring compliance with national water quality standards. The treated effluent from UABC ultimately drains into the Colorado River basin, which flows into the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez). This water body supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological and economic resource for the region. The plant's operation helps protect downstream ecosystems from untreated wastewater pollution.

UABC discharges into the Colorado River basin, which flows through the arid Mexicali Valley before reaching the Gulf of California. The Gulf of California is a biologically rich marine environment supporting fisheries, migratory species, and endemic wildlife. The plant's secondary treatment reduces organic load and pathogens, helping to maintain water quality in this sensitive downstream ecosystem.