Zirándaro de los Chávez Wastewater Treatment Plant, Guerrero, Mexico

The Zirándaro de los Chávez wastewater treatment plant is located in the city of Zirándaro de los Chávez, within the state of Guerrero, Mexico. This facility serves a population of approximately 4,762 residents, making it a small-scale municipal treatment plant in a rural inland setting. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process for removing organic matter and suspended solids. With a designed capacity of 1,123.20 cubic meters per day and an actual discharge volume of 518.40 cubic meters per day, the plant operates below its full capacity. In Mexico, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under the Federal Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales) and NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, which sets discharge limits for pollutants into national waters. The treated effluent is discharged into local water bodies that eventually drain into the Balsas River basin, one of Mexico's major river systems flowing into the Pacific Ocean. The plant plays a crucial role in protecting downstream aquatic ecosystems and communities from untreated wastewater pollution.

The plant discharges into the Balsas River basin, which flows through Guerrero and Michoacán before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at the Balsas River delta. This watershed supports diverse aquatic life and provides water for irrigation and domestic use. The secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient loading and organic pollution, protecting downstream habitats and water quality in the ecologically sensitive coastal zone.