Mar del Plata, located on the Atlantic coast, is the main tourist centre in the country and has a population of 600,000 inhabitants increasing threefold during the summer. Water for urban, agricultural and industrial uses are exclusively supplied by groundwater resources. The County occupies an area of 1460 km2; its structure reveals a radial scheme converging in the urban area of Mar del Plata, turning this site into the most significant one regarding services, industry and tourism. The rural area, where agriculture and livestock prevail, supplies the city center with fresh products and some necessary building materials, such as bricks and rocks.