Groundwater management in the region of La Plata, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

The paper describes actions applied to the management of water resources in the region of La Plata (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). The overexploitation of groundwater has modified the hydraulic conditions and, at the same time, has affected the hydrochemical characteristics by favoring contamination from human wastes. At present, the average exploited groundwater volume for human consumption is 73 hm3/y and since a substantial increase of demand for water is predicted in future years, sustainable groundwater exploitation becomes essential. Rational management is necessary to reach a balance between water demands and groundwater conservation to avoid the extreme deterioration of water quality.