Report: Contamination in Ringwood could threaten the Wanaque Reservoir

A brief overview of the Ringwood Mines Superfund site as of early 2017. The formerly Ford-owned site in Passaic County, New Jersey is polluted with paint sludge and industrial waste. David Zimmer/NorthJersey.com (Photo: northjersey.com file photo)

High levels of a dangerous chemical at the Ringwood Superfund site are a potential threat to the nearby Wanaque Reservoir, the major source of drinking water for the region, according to a new report for the state commission that oversees the water supply. The pollution needs to be treated to ensure it doesn’t migrate to the reservoir — just a mile away — and contaminate the drinking water that serves as many as 3.5 million people, the report said.

The chemical — known as 1,4-dioxane and considered a probable carcinogen — has not been detected in the reservoir. But high levels have been found over the past 18 months in groundwater and brooks that feed into the massive reservoir downstream of an area where Ford Motor Co. dumped an ocean of toxic paint sludge 50 years ago. The report, written for the reservoir’s operator, the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, recommends that a system be built soon to pump contaminated groundwater to […]

Full article: Report: Contamination in Ringwood could threaten the Wanaque Reservoir