The Integral Management of the Wastewater Treatment Sector in Mexico Using a Circular Economy Approach

Wastewater treatment must be proactive and sustainable to facilitate an increase in the circularity of water. Therefore, the current approach, based on a linear cycle, must be replaced with a circular economy concept that implements strategies to address the different byproducts in the wastewater treatment sector. In recent years, Nuevo León, Mexico, has encountered high water stress levels, with its main water bodies presenting their lowest levels ever recorded. This study was focused on the wastewater treatment plant Monterrey, which treats the largest volume at the state level. Throughout its operation process, it generates different potential byproducts that are yet to be harnessed to fully. This study developed three proposals using a circular economy approach: the treatment of water for the industrial sector, the use of residual sludge as an organic fertilizer, and the cogeneration of energy from biogas. These proposals can potentially generate benefits regarding the three pillars of sustainability, yielding a closed cycle in the wastewater treatment sector at the national level.