Toms River, New Jersey — officially Dover Township until 2006 — became the center of one of the most disturbing environmental health investigations in American history. A childhood cancer cluster, a massive chemical plant, and contaminated drinking water wells all converged in this Ocean County community.
Dan Fagin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation” documented the full scope of what happened here. But the contamination story isn’t just history — it’s an ongoing reality for the roughly 95,000 people who call this area home.
The Ciba-Geigy Plant
From 1952 to 1988, the Ciba-Geigy Corporation (now part of BASF) operated a chemical manufacturing plant on a 1,350-acre site in Toms River. The facility produced dyes, resins, and epoxy products, generating substantial quantities of hazardous waste.
For decades, waste disposal practices were, by today’s standards, appalling:
- Liquid waste was discharged into unlined lagoons on the property.
- A 10-mile pipeline carried wastewater to the Atlantic Ocean for discharge.
- Drums of waste were buried on-site.
- Groundwater beneath the plant became heavily contaminated with VOCs, including styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) trimer, nitrobenzene, and epichlorohydrin.
The contamination plume migrated off-site and reached nearby residential wells and the Toms River Water Company’s Parkway well field. The EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (Superfund) in 1983.
The Cancer Cluster
In the early 1990s, a nurse at a local hospital noticed an unusual number of childhood cancer cases. An investigation by the New Jersey Department of Health and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) confirmed elevated rates of childhood leukemia and brain/central nervous system cancers in Dover Township between 1979 and 1995.
A 2001 case-control study found a statistically significant association between prenatal exposure to contaminated public water from the Parkway well field and childhood leukemia in girls. The study also found associations with air pollution from the Ciba-Geigy plant.
The findings were cautious — epidemiological studies of this type can identify associations but rarely prove direct causation. But for the families affected, the connection between the chemicals and their children’s cancers felt undeniable.
The Reich Farm Connection
The Ciba-Geigy plant wasn’t the only contamination source. The Reich Farm Superfund site, located about two miles away, added another dimension to the problem.
In 1971, a waste hauler illegally dumped thousands of drums of chemical waste from a Union Carbide facility onto the Reich family’s egg farm. The drums leaked, and the chemicals — including trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chlorinated solvents — contaminated the shallow aquifer that supplied private wells and eventually reached public water supply wells.
The site was discovered in 1974 and added to the Superfund list in 1983. Together, the Ciba-Geigy and Reich Farm sites created a contamination pincer around the community.
Current Water Quality
Toms River’s water system has changed significantly since the contamination era. The contaminated Parkway wells were taken offline decades ago. Today, the township’s water comes from a combination of deep aquifer wells and surface water, treated and monitored extensively.
Key points for current water quality:
- The system meets all EPA standards for regulated contaminants.
- PFAS testing is ongoing. New Jersey has been one of the most aggressive states on PFAS regulation, setting MCLs of 14 ppt for PFOA, 13 ppt for PFOS, and 13 ppt for PFNA — among the strictest in the nation. Water systems must comply with these limits.
- Disinfection byproducts are monitored quarterly. Levels of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids have remained within EPA limits.
- Volatile organic compounds are tested regularly given the area’s contamination history. No exceedances have been reported in recent years from active wells.
Superfund Cleanup Status
The cleanup of both sites continues:
Ciba-Geigy (now BASF):
- Groundwater extraction and treatment systems operate continuously, pumping millions of gallons per year.
- Soil remediation has included excavation of contaminated material and on-site treatment.
- The ocean discharge pipeline was decommissioned.
- Long-term monitoring continues for the contaminant plume.
- The EPA’s five-year reviews have found the remedy protective but noted the cleanup will take decades more to reach target levels.
Reich Farm:
- Contaminated soils were excavated and treated.
- Groundwater treatment systems continue to operate.
- The plume is being monitored and managed, though full aquifer restoration remains a long-term goal.
Private Wells: Proceed With Caution
Ocean County has a mix of public water supply and private wells. If you’re on a private well in the Toms River area, you’re responsible for your own water quality testing. Given the documented contamination history:
- Test annually for VOCs (TCE, PCE, benzene, and related compounds).
- Test for PFAS, especially if you’re near military facilities, fire training sites, or industrial areas.
- Test for nitrates, bacteria, and basic chemistry parameters.
- The Ocean County Health Department can provide guidance on testing requirements and recommended labs.
What Residents Can Do
- Know your water source. Contact the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) to find out which wells supply your area and request the latest water quality data.
- Review the annual Consumer Confidence Report carefully. Don’t just look at pass/fail — look at actual detected levels versus MCLs.
- For homes with older plumbing, consider testing for lead at the tap, especially if built before 1986.
- Point-of-use filtration is a reasonable precaution in an area with this contamination history. Reverse osmosis systems certified to NSF/ANSI 58 remove the broadest range of contaminants, including PFAS, VOCs, and heavy metals.
- Stay informed on Superfund progress. EPA holds periodic community meetings and publishes five-year reviews. These are public documents.
The Bottom Line
Toms River’s water system today is monitored more closely than most in New Jersey — which is itself one of the most heavily regulated states for water quality. The contaminated wells are offline, treatment systems are operating, and new standards (especially for PFAS) provide additional protection.
But the contamination underground hasn’t gone away. It’s being managed, slowly remediated, and carefully watched. In a community that learned the hard way what happens when chemicals reach the water supply, vigilance isn’t paranoia — it’s common sense.
If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on solutions tailored to your specific situation.
Sources: EPA Superfund Site Profiles (Ciba-Geigy Corp, Reich Farm), New Jersey DEP PFAS MCLs, ATSDR Dover Township Cancer Cluster Investigation, Toms River MUA Consumer Confidence Reports, Dan Fagin’s “Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation.”