Insider Subscribers: SEAPAL plans a sewer cleanup in Versalles. Here’s how Puerto Vallarta treats wastewater and what beach bacteria tests can tell swimmers.
SEAPAL Vallarta announced plans Nov. 6 to clear 6.2 kilometers of a main sewer line after recurring sewage spills in Versalles and Díaz Ordaz.
The plan prioritizes the most obstructed sections along Avenida México. SEAPAL operations director Alejandro Padilla estimated that buildup blocks up to 80% of some stretches of pipe.
For swimmers, the latest federal result I could verify for Playa del Cuale came from summer testing published in July. The beach failed that round. The samples predate the spills behind the November plan.
What the sewer work means in Versalles
In late September, sewage spills affected streets including Viena, Francia and Niza, as well as two schools in the area, according to neighborhood reports. Jaime Álvarez Zayas, Jalisco’s regional health director in Puerto Vallarta, advised residents to avoid contact with the water.
“It can cause conjunctivitis, dermatitis and diarrhea,” Álvarez Zayas said in an interview published Oct. 2, speaking in Spanish about exposure to untreated sewage.
SEAPAL Director Carlos Ruiz said the utility would pay for the cleaning with its own funds. He estimated at the Nov. 6 meeting that crews could start in about two weeks and take roughly seven months. The plan calls for crews to inspect the pipe with cameras and pull out accumulated material.
At an October meeting with residents, Padilla said Versalles sits at a low point along the sewer line. He said rainwater and groundwater entering the system also strain pipes in El Pitillal Centro, Emiliano Zapata, 5 de Diciembre and Centro during heavy rains.
The utility’s plan calls for meters on sewer connections at large developments to help trace those extra flows. SEAPAL identified rainwater from homes and businesses and groundwater pumped from private properties as two contributors to the overload. The city’s groundwater discharge complaints have also drawn the attention of Mexico’s national water commission, Conagua.
How sewage reaches a treatment plant
SEAPAL calls the Colector Centro-Norte the city’s main sewer line. It is part of the network that gathers wastewater from toilets, showers, and kitchens and carries it to treatment plants. The utility says it treated more than 32 million cubic meters of wastewater in 2025.
At Norte I and Norte II, screens and settling channels remove debris and grit. Tanks supply oxygen to bacteria that break down organic material. Solids settle out, and the plants disinfect the remaining water with chlorine. SEAPAL says it can reuse treated water for irrigation or release it into a receiving body of water.
Pipes and pumps must move the sewage before the plant can treat it. In June, SEAPAL reported that a section of the same sewer collapsed under Avenida México, between El Capricho and Las Moras. The collapse opened a sinkhole and forced a traffic detour while crews worked on the pipe.
In October, SEAPAL added pumping equipment at Norte I in Las Mojoneras after rains damaged equipment. The utility said the added pumping helped lower sewage levels in the pipes. The November plan calls for more pumping capacity and backup equipment at the plant.
Mexico sets separate federal limits for wastewater discharges into rivers and other federally owned waters. Those standards apply where wastewater is released. Cofepris and state health authorities sample seawater at designated beach sites.
What the tests at Playa del Cuale measure
Playa del Cuale sits at the mouth of the Río Cuale downtown. It passed the March round of testing, with a reading of 17 enterococci per 100 milliliters. In the summer results, the Cuale reading rose to 235. Playa Oasis, also known as Playa del Holi, came in at 190 and passed.
Playa del Cuale was the only Jalisco beach to fail the summer round. Cofepris, Mexico’s federal health regulator, classified it as no apta, or unsuitable for recreational contact with the water.
Cofepris uses a threshold of 200 enterococci per 100 milliliters. The reports express those counts as NMP, short for número más probable. In English, that’s “most probable number,” a statistical estimate of the bacterial concentration.
Enterococci indicate possible fecal contamination, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sewage is one possible source. Stormwater runoff and animal waste can also contribute. Health officials use the count to assess the risk to swimmers. Tracing a high reading to a particular pipe or discharge requires separate testing or field evidence.
Where to check and where to report a spill
Before swimming, check the beach name and sample date in the federal Playas Limpias results or the Playas Mx app. The federal results reflect the water at the sites and times sampled. At the beach, check posted notices and ask a lifeguard about current restrictions.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises checking for advisories after heavy rain. It also advises staying out where pipes drain into the water or where the water is unusually cloudy, discolored, or foul-smelling.
For sewage coming out of a manhole or flowing down a street, SEAPAL takes reports at 073 or by WhatsApp at 322-105-8226. For a suspected water-quality problem at the beach, Cofep
