San Luis Potosi Wastewater Treatment

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In June 2004 the municipality of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, awarded a 20 years build, operate, and transfer contract for a wastewater treatment plant to private consortium consortium Aguas de Reuso del Tenorio SA. The project included the construction (two year duration) and operation (18 year duration) of a plant with a capacity of 1050 liters of water per second in primary processing and 450 liters in secondary advanced processing in the city of San Luis Potosi, the capital of the state bearing the same name. The plant was expected to cover 60 percent of the city’s sewage treatment needs. The consortium Aguas de Reuso del Tenorio SA won the contract for the $342 million (Euro 263 million) project through a competitive bid. The consortium was comprised of French company Suez (41 percent under their subsidiary Degremont), Japanese group Sumitomo Corporation (39 percent), and Mexican engineering firm Prodin (20 percent). Project financing for the $315 million (Euro 263 million) project was provided by subsidies from the Mexican government covering 40 percent of the project’s costs, a loan from BANOBRAS covering 30 percent, and the consortium’s own funds for the remaining 30 percent. The facility was designed to channel 57 percent of the water after primary treatment to a lagoon then distribute it to farmers, for agricultural uses. The remaining 43% was intended to go through secondary and tertiary treatment, making it fit for use as coolant fluid in the neighboring thermal power station of Villa de Reyes. The plant became operational in April 2005.