Simas Torreón must adjust the project for the new Treatment Plant to current regulations.

The National Water Commission has requested that Simas Torreón adjust the project for the new wastewater treatment plant to the regulations that came into effect in 2023, in addition to updating raw material costs, before issuing a public tender for the works.

The general manager of the Municipal Water and Sanitation System, Roberto Escalante González, stated that these are observations or adjustments that are within the normal range, following the technical review carried out by Conagua on the project, which was delivered in mid-June.

"It's a normal process, especially in an issue as important as water sanitation for an entire city," he said, adding that work is already underway to correct or address any observations and return them to Conagua.

For this reason, There is still no date for issuing the public tender for this project. , since this will depend on the time it takes for the federal agency to review it.

The head of Simas Torreón stated that all the concerns raised by the regional Conagua officials at a previous meeting, which he said he was not present at, will be addressed, but that the issues were solely technical.

He emphasized that the project is nearly 700 pages long, retaining only the essential elements, such as the proposed technology for wastewater treatment, which is activated sludge, as it is the easiest and most economical to operate.

"Now that we've toured the country, we've seen that most of the most efficient plants use these processes, such as those in León and Irapuato. We'll be in Aguascalientes and Nuevo León to review the operating mechanisms of their treatment plants, with the aim of gaining experience and applying it in Torreón."

Project, required to comply with current regulations

In April 2023, the Mexican Official Standard NOM-001-Semarnat-2021 came into force. This is the main standard for wastewater treatment in the country, as it establishes the maximum permissible limits for pollutants in the discharge of said wastewater into receiving bodies owned by the nation.

The city's treatment plant does not comply with these regulations, so Conagua has granted an extension, which expires in 2027, for the development and construction of a new one that does meet the requirements.

In addition to complying with regulations, with The new plant will seek to increase treatment capacity to 1,900 liters per second, compared to the 1,200 currently treated. This includes increasing the production of clarified water for industrial use.