Parque 26 Wastewater Treatment Plant, Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru

Parque 26 is a wastewater treatment plant located in the Villa Panamericana de Lima area of Villa El Salvador, a district in the Lima Metropolitana region of Peru. The plant serves an estimated population of 49,269 people, placing it in the medium agglomeration category for Peruvian wastewater infrastructure. As a plant in Peru, Parque 26 operates under the national regulatory framework overseen by the Superintendencia Nacional de Servicios de Saneamiento (SUNASS) and the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation. Peruvian regulations require secondary treatment for plants serving populations over 2,000, with additional nutrient removal in sensitive areas. Typical facilities of this scale in urban Lima employ activated sludge or similar secondary processes. The plant's treated effluent ultimately reaches the Pacific Ocean, as it is located within 50 km of the coast. The receiving water body is likely a local stream or drainage channel that flows into the ocean. This coastal discharge is significant for the marine environment, as nutrients and pollutants can affect coastal ecosystems, including the productive Humboldt Current system offshore. Proper treatment is essential to protect marine biodiversity and public health along Lima's coastline.

Parque 26 discharges into the Pacific Ocean via local drainage networks in the Villa El Salvador area. The coastal waters off Lima are part of the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem, one of the world's most productive marine regions, supporting rich fisheries and diverse marine life. Effluent from the plant can influence local water quality, particularly near the shore, where nutrient loading may contribute to eutrophication and algal blooms. The plant's proximity to the coast underscores the importance of adequate treatment to minimize ecological impacts on this sensitive marine environment.