Given the importance of water resources in Colombia, different Wastewater Treatment Systems (STAR) have been implemented to improve discharge to natural water sources. For this, norms have been generated that regulate said systems and discharges, which have not been rigorously implemented, since there has been evidence of low wastewater treatment in the main cities of the country. Taking this reality into account, the question arose as to what are the factors that have limited the implementation of STAR in the country. For this, the present investigation was carried out from a legal, economic and technical components approach. Deficiencies were found in the standards established for discharges. There was evidence of a provision of economic resources for the implementation of said systems; however, failures in the selected systems and their low efficiency were also evidenced. To verify the efficiency of wastewater treatment, information on the population increase is related to the polluting loads discharged, with which it was found that the industrial sector has increased its contribution to said loads. It is clear that despite the gradual increase in the items destined to improve drinking water and basic sanitation, year after year the volume of discharged cargo increases. It is concluded that the factors that limit the correct implementation of STAR are mainly technical, since the selected systems are not better in relation to cost benefit.