BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research into the use of wastewater as an alternative for agriculture has gained relevance in countries facing or likely to face water stress. Mexico stands out as one of the countries with the highest use of untreated wastewater in agricultural production. The Mezquital Valley, located in Hidalgo, Mexico, has been studied for this reason for more than 25 years, as it has received untreated wastewater for over 100 years. The social and economic development of this region is linked to the water that flows through Mexico City's drainage system, which, given the city's level of industrialization, poses increasing risks to its use. The objectives of this study were to analyze the Mezquital Valley from the perspectives of weak and strong sustainability to identify the limitations and opportunities for wastewater reuse in agriculture.METHODS: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database and VOSviewer software to visualize the results. Based on this, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify the main topics addressed and determine whether sustainability approaches had been used. This analysis is complemented by statistical data from the region.FINDINGS: The bibliometric review (1991–2024) shows that research focuses on water, soil, and health pollution, with a predominance of environmental sciences, while studies on sustainable development are scarce (6 out of 79). On the other hand, it is found that the average volume of wastewater over the last 25 years was 1,405,811 thousand m³, distributed across irrigation districts 003 Tula, 100 Alfajayucan, and 112 Ajacuba to more than 56,000 users across 77,415 hectares, mainly for corn and alfalfa.CONCLUSION: The region faces growing environmental and social degradation, serious risks to public health, and a population in which more than 70 percent lack social security, resulting in increased healthcare spending. Therefore, transitioning towards strong sustainability requires robust regulatory frameworks, continuous financing, and participatory strategies that involve indigenous and rural communities in decision-making processes that integrate technical, social, and ecological dimensions.
Baños et al. (Wed,) studied this question.