Comparación Técnica de los Procesos de las Plantas de Tratamiento de Agua Residual Juan Diaz (Panamá) y la Planta de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales de Tunja

Abstract

The treatment of urban wastewater is an essential component for protecting public health and ecosystems. In Latin America, its development has progressed through large-scale infrastructures aimed at improving effluent quality and meeting increasingly strict regulations. In this context, the Juan Díaz wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Panama is part of the Sanitation Program for the City and Bay of Panama, standing out for its capacity and the operational challenges associated with the seasonal instability of inflows and loads (CAF, 2025; Soto & Saavedra, 2015). Meanwhile, the Tunja WWTP in Colombia has been the subject of assessments and modernization proposals aimed at improving the efficiency of the biological process, mitigating impacts like odors, and moving towards higher-performance technologies, including the transition to membrane systems in reuse scenarios (Pineda Buitrago, 2017; Valderrama Botia, 2021) Although both plants operate under different urban realities, they share common technical issues: hydraulic and organic variability, requirements for biological process stabilization, comprehensive sludge management, and control of externalities. These conditions directly affect regulatory compliance and stability, justifying the need to compare their configurations, operating strategies, and documented results. The purpose of this study is to technically and operationally contrast the Juan Díaz and Tunja WWTPs, describing their treatment trains, analyzing their performance indicators, and deriving improvement lessons applicable to Latin American urban sites. Through this comparison, the aim is to provide a technical basis that makes decision-making easier for modernization, optimization, and knowledge transfer between both realities.