Guatemala approves 120 wastewater treatment projects

Guatemala has approved 120 projects for the construction of wastewater treatment plants (PTAR) across various departments to combat rising water pollution in rivers, lakes, and aquifers. According to data from the Secretaría de Coordinación Ejecutiva de la Presidencia (Scep), 151 total requests had been received as of August 21.

Suchitepéquez leads the country in approved projects with 32, followed by Jutiapa and Sacatepéquez with 14 each. Other departments with approved projects include Guatemala (12), El Progreso (10), Zacapa (7), Retalhuleu (6), Escuintla (5), and Jalapa (4).

The initiative aims to address environmental and sanitary challenges by using physical, biological, and chemical processes to treat contaminated water, allowing for safe return to the environment or reuse in irrigation and industrial activities.