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Quilehtla is a small community of 6,000 people east of Mexico City in the Central Highlands. Every small community requires simple wastewater treatment systems that require little or no maintenance, are inexpensive to build, and ideally should not have any machinery. Quilehtla was no exception to this design rule.
Treatment consists of modified Imhof tanks for primary treatment, sub-surface flow constructed wetlands for advanced secondary treatment, and reed beds for treatment of sludge from the Imhof tank. This is a totally passive system treating both wastewater and sludge. The water quality consistently meets a 20/20 design.
This system was constructed with local labor and 90% local materials. No energy is required for treatment.