Replacing the groundwater supply by a surface source: effects on the aquifer in Santo Tomé city (Argentina)

Abstract

Santo Tome city (Santa Fe Province, Argentine Republic), with a population of approximately 60,000 inhabitants, is supplied by pumping wells operated by the Municipal Government. The wells are located in the urban area and they are fed up from a leaky aquifer, which lodges good-quality water. Because of the increasing demand, the aquifer system is more and more exploited. Even though, up to the moment, the drop of the water level in the exploited aquifer is not significant, groundwater shows a progressive deterioration in its quality due to the rising of saline water that underlain the leaky aquifer. To cope with this situation, the local authorities have decided to evaluate the possibility of replacing groundwater by a surface water source. On the other hand, and to guarantee good-quality water to all its inhabitants the Government of the Province began the construction of aqueducts with their intakes in the Parana River and its tributary. Under this situation is strategy to evaluate the effects that would be produced on groundwater levels the importation of surface water and the subsequent abandonment of groundwater wells in Santo Tome City. This paper shows the results of the hydrogeological studies carried out to define the conceptual model, the 3D numerical model implemented to simulate the groundwater level evolution and some guidelines to contribute to the sustainable management of the water supply in Santo Tome city.