Case Study Mexico // How Guanajuato’s Water and Wastewater Utilities are tackling Climate Change through Efficiency Optimization and Renewable Energy Production

This case is part of a case study series, where the Water-Energy-Climate Nexus supports the transition towards a more sustainable and low-carbon urban management. In San Francisco del Rincón, two utility companies, SITRATA (Servicio de Tratamiento y Deposición de Aguas Residuales) and SAPAF (Sistema de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de San Francisco), are collaborating on projects to improve their services and lower their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. SITRATA manages wastewater, while SAPAF is responsible for drinking water and sewage. With guidance from the WaCCliM project, both utilities have undertaken a strategizing and implementation process similar to that proposed in the “WaCCliM Roadmap to a Low- Carbon Urban Water Utility”. As a result, SAPAF have increased wastewater treatment coverage from 48% to 81% and improved the energy efficiency of their pumping stations. The magnitude of the increase in treatment coverage was by far the biggest achievement in GHG reduction.