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Pollution of the Puelche´s Aquifer in Argentina by Cesspits, and the Opportunity to Change This Reality

Minaverry Clara, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina 

Introduction

The Puelche´s aquifer is located in the south area of the province of Santa Fe, southeast area of the province of Cordoba and north area of the province of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and its size is of 40 km³. It is located between 40 and 70 m beyond ground level, and contains 300 trillions litres of water.

 

This aquifer is one of the most important ones in the region, because of its quality and good quantity of water. The water quality is similar to mineralised water, and is commercialised without any treatment by well-known companies.

 

The demographic growth and the lack of planning are damaging the Puelche´s aquifer.

 

Objectives

The main objective of this project is to find some solutions in connection with the pollution of the Puelche´s aquifer, in order to protect it.

 

Development

The Puelche´s aquifer had been exploited to take water from it since the 1930´s, especially by people from Buenos Aires city. Later in the 1980´s the intensive water extraction caused a regional depression in the urban areas.

 

As a consequence, this changed the direction of the underground water. Before this exploitation, the water moved outside to the River Plate estuary. Now, because of the intensive water bombing in the centre of the aquifer, the circulation was inverted and the underground water now goes from the coast to the urban areas of Buenos Aires, modifying the quality of the water, which is now much more salted that it used to be.

 

People who mainly pollute this aquifer are the poor one, which doesn't have a running water service and a sewage system in their houses. That is why they must drill their own pits, to take water and for sanitation. Usually, the distance between this two pits is not the recommended by specialists, so they finally pollute each other and also the aquifer.

 

There is also the “social” element to analyse in this case. In Argentina, people are not aware of throwing wastes in the streets, so this dirt goes directly through the sewage system to the underground water.

 

The International Environmental Law, through its declarations and treaties, is aware of this global problem, and fixed several objectives in order to improve this reality because it is undoubtedly beneficial to all the countries in the world.

 

“At the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target was agreed to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sanitation”…”The price tag for solving the problem - estimated at an additional $10bn a year to achieve the MDG target - is about a third of the costs it imposes in healthcare and lost productivity alone. And it's an investment estimated to bring returns of about $9 for each $1 invested.”

 

The Second Water Report of United Nations of 2006, stated that water is the main resource for life. The human needs in connection with health and food depend on it.

 

One of the key factors related to the pollution of the Puelche´s aquifer, is that the presence of bacterium and nitrates in areas where there aren't waste collectors, makes the researchers suppose this is produced by leaks in the pipe's which transport the human wastes. The World's Health Organization states a maximum of 50 milligrams is allowed in one water litre to be considered as potable. In some areas of Buenos Aires, water has nitrates over that limit.

 

Then, in Buenos Aires city, there are running water and sewage webs designed, which only must be connected to the main web.

 

So, these are clear examples of lack on investment in the infrastructure of the sanitation system.

 

Conclusions and recommendations

The government must implement environmental educational plans, in order to avoid the pollution of this important resource. It is also necessary that the government enacts laws which harmonize the general hydrological planning and zoning. There must be legislation which organizes the granting of user's authorizations, the regulation of dropping of liquids in the aquifer, the drilling procedures and sewage practices.

 

It is very important that the water services infrastructure is controlled, as well as the purification and quality water standards.

 

The reuse of the aquifer water by the industries and by people in general, through a double system, should avoid the excessive exploitation of this natural reserve.

 

We must remember that water, according to different international organizations, is considered as the fire device of the present millennium wars. The countries which invest in the protection of water resources will be the future millionaires of the world, but unfortunately in Argentina, so it's very important that every country act in consequence.

 

Finally, a General Management Plan of the Puelche´s aquifer must be done, and should be located on the political agendas.