San Jacinto Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tumbes, Peru

San Jacinto is a wastewater treatment plant located in the town of San Jacinto, in the Tumbes region of northwestern Peru. The plant serves a population of approximately 8,122 people, making it a small-scale municipal facility. It is situated inland, about 50 km from the Pacific coast, in a region characterized by tropical dry forests and agricultural activity. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment level required for municipal wastewater in Peru under national regulations. With a discharge volume of 864 m³/day, the facility operates within the typical scale for a community of its size. Peruvian wastewater treatment plants are regulated by the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation, and must comply with maximum permissible limits for effluents. The treated effluent from San Jacinto likely discharges into a local watercourse that eventually drains into the Pacific Ocean. The Tumbes region is part of the larger Tumbes-Piura dry forest ecoregion, which supports diverse wildlife including endemic bird species. Proper wastewater treatment is essential to protect downstream water quality and the sensitive coastal ecosystems of northern Peru.

The plant's treated effluent likely flows into a tributary of the Tumbes River basin, which drains into the Pacific Ocean near the Gulf of Guayaquil. This coastal area supports mangrove forests and estuarine habitats that are important for fish and bird species. The region's seasonal rainfall patterns mean that dry-season flows in receiving waters are low, increasing the importance of effective treatment to prevent eutrophication and protect aquatic life.