Rockaway Borough Well Field

Overview

Rockaway Borough Well Field covers two square miles in Rockaway Borough, Morris County, New Jersey. It sits on the National Priorities List and has been in active cleanup for decades. The site centers on three municipal water supply wells that draw from a sole source aquifer. An emergency was declared in 1981 after contamination was discovered, and a water treatment system went online immediately. The site is divided into four operable units targeting the well field itself, groundwater, and two source areas near Klockner and Wall Street.

The main contaminants are tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), both volatile organic compounds found in groundwater and soil. Chromium, lead, and nickel are also present in groundwater. Lead appears in soil near the Klockner area. PCE and TCE show up in soil near both the Wall Street and Klockner areas. In total, EPA has identified 21 contaminants of concern. Multiple sources of contamination exist in the borough, including the Klockner and Klockner industrial facility and a dry cleaning business called Lusardi's Cleaners, Inc.

The borough installed an activated carbon treatment system in 1981 that was later upgraded with an air stripper. It treats about 900,000 gallons of water per day and has brought contaminant levels in drinking water down to meet state and federal standards. Two groundwater extraction and treatment systems are also running, one that began in January 2006 and another that started in November 2011. Soil vapor extraction systems have removed volatile organic compounds from soil, and the Klockner system restarted in December 2023 after additional contamination was found. Chemical injections targeting deeper soil contamination were scheduled to begin in August 2024 and are estimated to run for about two years. Major construction across the site was completed in April 2015.

EPA has determined that human exposure to drinking water is under control and that groundwater migration is stabilized. No indoor air problems have been found, though EPA continues sampling to check for vapor intrusion. The groundwater operable unit moved to operation and maintenance under state oversight in September 2022. The Klockner source area remedial action is scheduled through September 2025. The site is not yet sitewide ready for anticipated use, meaning cleanup goals have not been fully achieved everywhere. A five-year review completed in May 2025 confirms that ongoing work continues to protect public health.

Community members can review site records at the Rockaway Borough Free Library at 82 East Main Street in Rockaway, New Jersey, or at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York City. EPA holds community meetings and issues public notices. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions directly.