Unidad Habitacional Pemex Picacho Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ciudad de México, Mexico

Unidad Habitacional Pemex Picacho is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Tlalpan borough of Ciudad de México, Mexico. It serves a residential community of about 8,096 people, operating as part of the city's extensive water management infrastructure. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required for municipal wastewater. With a designed capacity of 1,123.20 thousand m³/year and an actual discharge volume of 766.37 thousand m³/year, it operates at approximately 68% capacity. Under Mexican regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT), secondary treatment is mandatory for discharges into national waters, ensuring compliance with federal water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local drainage system, which ultimately flows into the Valley of Mexico basin. This basin is a closed hydrological system with no natural outlet, making water management critical. The plant helps protect local water bodies from pollution and supports the ecological health of the region's canals and lakes, which are important for biodiversity and urban recreation.

The plant discharges into the Valley of Mexico basin, a closed hydrological system where water is managed through a network of canals and drainage channels. This basin historically contained Lake Texcoco, now largely drained, but remaining wetlands and canals support migratory birds and aquatic life. Proper treatment is essential to prevent eutrophication and contamination of these sensitive water bodies, which are vital for the region's ecology and urban water balance.