Water that Regenerates, Industry that Transforms
On a planet where more than 40% of the population lives in basins under water stress, river pollution has become as serious a problem as scarcity itself. In Mexico, the Alto Atoyac basin is one of the most critical examples: industrial and municipal discharges have severely deteriorated water quality, affecting public health and reducing the resilience of ecosystems. Against this backdrop, the expansion of Blue Tissue’s treatment plant in Yauhquemehcan, Tlaxcala, represents a paradigm shift.
This is not only about compliance with a regulation; it is the opportunity to reconvert the paper industry into a benchmark of water sustainability. Expanding from 11 to 22 liters per second treated means doubling the water regeneration capacity, with a volume equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 2,500 people, which was previously discharged as contaminated effluent. The strategy goes beyond remediation: it enables the internal reuse of treated water, reducing dependence on external sources and aligning the company with the Water Positive vision, under the principles of additionality, intentionality, and traceability of VWBA 2.0.
The market in which operates is highly sensitive: the paper industry in Mexico faces increasingly strict regulations from CONAGUA and growing social pressure due to basin degradation. In this context, the purpose of the project is to ensure long-term operational viability while also helping to mitigate an environmental problem of regional scale.
Stakeholders involved include the company itself as developer and operator, technology providers specialized in MBBR, flotation, and disinfection systems, local communities as indirect beneficiaries of improved water quality, and environmental authorities as regulators and compliance verifiers. In this way, the initiative becomes a strategic investment that transforms an environmental liability into a reputational and sustainability asset.
The Alto Atoyac River basin faces a structural crisis: decades of untreated industrial discharges have turned this vital tributary into one of Mexico’s most polluted waterways, laden with heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogenic coliforms, threatening public health, aquatic ecosystems, and regional biodiversity. This degradation fuels social tension, erodes trust, and exposes industries in the region to escalating regulatory, financial, and reputational risk.
In response, a transformative wastewater treatment initiative has been deployed , expanding capacity by 100% and deploying advanced, integrated technologies: dissolved air flotation, MBBR biological systems, tertiary clarification, advanced disinfection, and closed-loop sludge management. The result? More than 690,000 m³ of treated water annually, fully compliant with CONAGUA’s Special Discharge Conditions , now safely reintegrated into industrial processes.
The impacts are multi-layered:
This is not merely compliance. It is regeneration.
Economic value is unlocked through reduced water procurement and disposal costs.
Reputational capital grows through demonstrable ESG leadership and regulatory excellence.
Environmental recovery begins with measurable, localized restoration of basin health.
The strategic opportunity is undeniable: acting decisively today doesn’t just mitigate risk, it redefines competitive advantage.
This model is scalable, replicable, and urgently needed across industrial corridors in Mexico and Latin America, where water stress, aging infrastructure, and tightening regulations converge.
For companies committed to ESG integrity, water footprint reduction, or restoring their social license to operate , this is not a case study. It’s a blueprint.
The proposed technical solution combines advanced physical, biological, and chemical processes to ensure the quality of the treated effluent. The system’s core is a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), complemented by dissolved air flotation, clarification, and advanced disinfection. This technology was selected after evaluating alternatives such as conventional activated sludge or trickling filters, which proved less efficient given the variability of flows and contaminant loads. With a capacity of 22 lps, equivalent to more than 1,900 m³ per day, the plant guarantees reduction of BOD, TSS, and coliforms to levels well within regulations. In addition, sludge management through separation and dewatering ensures comprehensive environmental control and prevents secondary contamination risks.
Expected benefits include quantifiable improvements in water quality, with reductions greater than 90% in major pollutants, the possibility of reusing more than 690,000 m³ annually in industrial processes, and a significant decrease in emissions associated with sludge transport and disposal. Socially, the project reduces health risks in surrounding communities and improves public perception of the industry. Economically, anticipated benefits include savings from lower freshwater consumption, optimization of disposal costs, and access to sustainability certifications and ESG credits.
Identified operational risks include technological failures in biological systems, hydrological variability of the basin, and social acceptance. To mitigate them, redundancies in critical equipment, emergency protocols, and contingency plans addressing peak contaminant loads have been implemented, along with shared governance with local stakeholders. Protocols are also in place to prevent critical failures such as out-of-standard discharges, through online alarms and safe bypass systems.
The solution is deemed appropriate in this context based on criteria of efficiency, technical robustness, adaptability, and alignment with national regulatory requirements. Its linkage with the Water Positive strategy and VWBA principles is ensured through additionality (expanding installed capacity beyond existing), traceability (with physical and digital measurement of regenerated water), and intentionality (explicitly allocating benefits to reuse and basin improvement).
Scalability and replicability of this model are high, especially in water-intensive sectors such as paper, textile, or food and beverage. Expansion to other regions requires regulatory frameworks that promote reuse, availability of specialized technology providers, and public-private partnerships that ensure financial sustainability. Its competitiveness lies in the ability to demonstrate tangible benefits, measurable under VWBA 2.0 and WQBA, and externally validated, making it an adaptable standard for other water-stressed contexts.
The project is implemented under a phased approach that ensures technical maturity at each stage. The initial diagnosis was executed first, establishing the baseline of water quantity and quality, as well as an inventory of operational risks. This phase allowed the establishment of reference indicators (flow, BOD, TSS, coliforms, energy consumption) against which project performance will be measured. Next, detailed technical design was developed, integrating criteria of efficiency, climate resilience, and regulatory compliance.
The construction stage incorporated the installation of the main modules: dissolved air flotation, moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), clarification, and advanced disinfection. This combination was chosen for its superior efficiency compared to alternatives such as activated sludge, and its ability to operate stably under variable flow and load conditions. In this phase, online monitoring and control instruments, flow meters, multiparametric probes, IoT sensors, were also integrated to ensure traceability from the outset. Commissioning and technical validation were completed within six months, with pilot tests and adjustment of operating parameters.
During continuous operation, the system maintains a nominal capacity of 22 lps (equivalent to 1,900 m³ daily) and ensures stable performance with reductions above 90% in critical contaminants. Data is recorded through SCADA and IoT, generating automatic alarms in case of deviations and periodic reports to CONAGUA. The baseline is continuously compared with obtained results using laboratory methods and real-time sensors with weekly and monthly frequency. Physical traceability of water is ensured from entry to the point of internal reuse, while digital traceability is guaranteed through management platforms that allow external auditing.
Project governance assigns Blue Tissue technical operation, specialized providers technological support, regulatory authorities external validation, and the local community a role in social monitoring. Specific agreements exist on the destination of regenerated water and preventive and corrective maintenance protocols, including periodic sensor calibration, availability of redundant equipment, and contingency plans. Finally, the continuous improvement scheme includes data feedback, constant comparison of with- and without-project scenarios, and technological updates every five years to ensure long-term benefits.
The expansion project of Blue Tissue’s treatment plant constitutes a technical intervention focused on the reuse of industrial effluents through advanced water treatment processes. The capacity increase to 22 lps integrates dissolved air flotation, moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), clarification, advanced disinfection, and integrated sludge management. These units and processes operate sequentially to ensure contaminant removal and produce regenerated water suitable for internal reuse in papermaking processes. The entire system was designed under CONAGUA national standards and international references such as WHO guidelines, ensuring regulatory compliance and technical reliability.
The relevance of this solution lies in directly addressing the deterioration of the Alto Atoyac basin, where historically untreated industrial effluents have generated severe environmental and social impacts. Compared to the baseline scenario of contaminant discharges, the transformed plant marks a before and after: from a situation of risk and environmental liability to a model of water regeneration and industrial circularity. It is the appropriate solution in this context because it responds to regulatory demands, social pressure, and the industry’s need for water resilience.
Expected results are concrete and measurable: more than 690,000 m³ of regenerated water annually, reductions above 90% in BOD, TSS, and coliforms, and compliance with limits for heavy metals. Additional benefits include reduced emissions from sludge transport and disposal, public health improvements from lower exposure to contaminants, and contributions to aquatic biodiversity in the basin.
The strategic and commercial value is significant. The project contributes to the company’s Water Positive roadmap, strengthens its social license to operate, and consolidates its reputation as a responsible actor. It offers tangible benefits in the ESG agenda by ensuring compliance, competitive differentiation, and alignment with global commitments such as SBTi, NPWI, Agenda 2030, and reporting standards like ESRS E3. Thus, it integrates into the value chain as an example of circularity and industrial sustainability.
Replicability and scalability of the model are ensured: it can be applied in other basins and water-intensive industries such as textile, food, or beverage, provided regulatory conditions promote reuse and public-private collaboration frameworks are in place. The presence of specialized technology providers and articulation with communities and local governments facilitate expansion.
The final expected impact is to contribute to the water balance of the basin, reducing pressure on freshwater sources and improving resilience to climate change. Socially, it strengthens access to safe water, generates specialized employment, and improves public health. Strategically, it sends a clear message to investors, clients, and society: that the transition toward a regenerative economy is possible when industry takes an active role in basin recovery and responsible water management
