Ocean County, New Jersey: drinking water report. Ocean County stretches along the Jersey Shore south of Monmouth County, home to about 640,000 residents.
Ocean County stretches along the Jersey Shore south of Monmouth County, home to about 640,000 residents. Water comes primarily from groundwater – the Kirkwood-Cohansey and deeper Piney Point aquifer systems supply most communities. New Jersey American Water and numerous smaller water systems serve the county. The sandy coastal geology makes the aquifers both productive and vulnerable to surface contamination.
New Jersey's strict PFAS standards have exposed contamination across Ocean County's groundwater systems. UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections in over a dozen county water systems. Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station – where PFAS-containing firefighting foam was used extensively – is a major contamination source. The Ciba-Geigy Superfund site in Toms River, a former chemical manufacturing facility, adds industrial contamination to the groundwater picture.
According to the New Jersey DEP's 2024 compliance data, six Ocean County water systems exceeded state PFAS MCLs and were required to install or upgrade treatment. The Ciba-Geigy site contributed to a well-publicized childhood cancer cluster investigation in Toms River in the 1990s and 2000s.
Ocean County's groundwater contamination from both military and industrial sources makes monitoring your specific system essential.
Check your water for data specific to your provider. A reverse osmosis system provides the strongest household-level protection against the range of contaminants found in Ocean County. Our water filter guide covers certified options. Pull your detailed report, and visit our New Jersey page for statewide context.