CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Since the middle of the twentieth century, the eastern coast of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, has experienced a strong demographic growth that posed increasing requirements on the supply of freshwater. This was accompanied by a rather chaotic urbanization process and theexpansion of human activities, particularly those related with the numerous summer resorts located there. In this region, the only natural source for the supply of freshwater to the inhabitants is the groundwater stored in lens-shaped reservoirs located in the coastal sandy barrier. With a mean hydraulic conductivity between 10 and 20 m/d, an effective porosity of more than 10%, and a narrow thickness of the insaturated zone (2-4 m), these reservoirs are highly vulnerable to pollution, particularly from nitrates of anthropic origins (over 50 mg/L at sorne locations). In addition an intensive exploitalion of these aquifers can lead to a strong drawdown, with the consequent threat of saltwater encroachment that will eventually force some production wells to beabandoned. This, in fact, has already happened. A suitable running of groundwater resources should thus take account of people's demand, an adequate freshwater supply, and the natural balance of the hydrologic cycle. Such management must consider the choice of new groundwatercatchmems and a land-use planning that includes the environmental protection of freshwater reserves. San Clemente del Tuyu, one of the summer resort towns, is presented as a local sustainable case of groundwater management. Although the study area has general uniformgeologic and geomorphologic characteristics, there are, however, local differences. The resort towns located along the coast should therefore take account of these differences in designing their own groundwater management systems.

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