JALISCO, MÉXICO
Río
Santiago
Reducing water pollution
Seungchan KimBruno Rodríguez GutiérrezAna Paola Rodríguez MendozaJuan Pablo Suro PeñaRicardo Lua Villanueva
01 — THE PROBLEM
Problem and importance
Industrial wastewater and untreated sewage pollute the Río Santiago.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Community well-being
Water quality and biodiversity
Local livelihoods
02 — STAKEHOLDERS
Who pays, who saves
AFFECTED
Residents
Odors and exposure risks
Local livelihoods
Restricted water uses
Wildlife
Damaged habitats
VS
SHORT-TERM COST SAVINGS
Discharging facilities
Save on treatment costs
Municipal operators
Save by delaying upgrades
Uncontrolled farming
Saves on runoff controls
03 — CAUSES
Causes: the iceberg analysis
click to dive deeper ↓
Events
Polluted discharges and visible waste
Patterns
Repeated dumping and noncompliance
Structures
Inadequate treatment and weak oversight
Mindsets
Pollution accepted as a cost of growth
04 — DATA AND MATH
Over a third of sites are polluted
COD CLASSIFICATION · 112 MONITORING SITES
20
Good
50
Acceptable
41
Polluted
1
Heavily polluted
42 SITES OVER THE LIMIT
THE MATH
(41 + 1) ÷ 112 × 100 =
37.5%
42 sites exceeded the COD threshold of 40 mg/L.
COD: chemical oxygen demand.
05 — BEST PROPOSED SOLUTION
Improve wastewater treatment and maintenance
Reliable operation
Inspections and follow-up
Community reporting
WHO IMPLEMENTSAuthorities, operators and businesses — as proposed by our team.
PLAN FORFunding, energy and safe treatment-waste disposal.
06 — SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES AND IMPACT
Where we stand
WE ACHIEVED
We defined the problem, compared solutions and drafted a plan.
WE FACED
Missing local measurements, funding and coordination remain challenges.
WE EXPECT
Less untreated wastewater and healthier aquatic habitats.
07 — WHAT WE LEARNED
Three lessons from the river
01
Prevent pollution at its source.
02
Maintenance matters as much as equipment.
03
Lasting solutions need cooperation and local adaptation.
08 — QUESTIONS
Questions?
Thank you.
Seungchan Kim · Bruno Rodríguez Gutiérrez · Ana Paola Rodríguez Mendoza · Juan Pablo Suro Peña · Ricardo Lua Villanueva