Public health

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 […]

Recent Posts

Hawaiʻi’s Corals Were Struggling To Survive. Then Came The Mud Floods

Coral reefs already face a litany of threats. Experts say storm runoff from the recent…

1 month ago

What’s Eating Iowa?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xqa0B9r7Y8 Iowa water: Pulitzer Prize winner Art Cullen and award-winning cinematographer Jerry Risius have teamed…

5 months ago

Invisible Threats: Understanding Water Contaminants in the U.S.

Clean water is essential for life, yet millions of Americans unknowingly consume contaminants through their…

1 year ago

High levels of microplastics in human brains appear to be increasing

Human brains contain higher concentrations of microplastics than other organs, according to a new study, and the…

1 year ago

California: executive order to help capture and store more water from severe storms

From the Office of the Governor: In anticipation of a multi-day, significant atmospheric river in Northern California,…

1 year ago

Experts give the real facts on California water

From Governor Newsom: Scientists, water managers, state leaders, and experts throughout the state are calling…

1 year ago