Standards and Thresholds for Waste Water Discharges in Mexico

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to discuss the standards and thresholds that are effective to control wastewater discharges in Mexico. The Mexican Official Standards (NOMs) to the control of wastewater discharges are:

• (a) NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996. It establishes the maximum pollution limits for municipal and industrial wastewater discharges to water bodies.

• (b) NOM-002-SEMARNAT-1996. It specifies the maximum pollution limits for wastewater discharges to urban or municipal sewer systems.

• (c) NOM-003-SEMARNAT-1997. It establishes the maximum pollution limits for the reuse of treated wastewater.

• (d) NOM-004-SEMARNAT-2002. This regulation specifies the maximum pollution limits for the use and final disposition of sludge resulting from the wastewater treatment.

This chapter is divided as follows: section 9.2 presents the historical evolution of standards on wastewater discharges in Mexico, section 9.3 introduces the NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, section 9.4 presents the NOM-002-SEMARNAT-1996, section 9.5 examines NOM-003-SEMARNAT-1997, section 9.6 studies NOM-004-SEMARNAT-2002, section 9.7 analyses the results of ten years of application of these technical regulations, and finally, section 9.8 includes some conclusions and recommendations.