A preview of a lecture tomorrow night at Ramapo College we will be participating in. Check our events section for details. The below was written by students at Ramapo College who will be participants tomorrow night as well. Hydrology and Groundwater (HG) HG.1 Overview Ringwood has a unique role in the region’s hydrology. The term hydrology refers to the science that deals with the distribution and movement of water above and below ground; it involves precipitation and the hydrologic cycle. Ringwood contains a reservoir system that supplies millions of people with drinking water as well as the Highlands and Ramapo SSA’s (Gowers, J., & Seppi, P., 2013). The majority of Ringwood is above the Highlands SSA, and the northeast corner is above the Ramapo SSA (NJDEP, 2012). The hydrology of the streams in the Ringwood Mines Area flows directly into the Wanaque Reservoir. Three different streams that flow by three different contaminated sites within the Superfund site all flow into the Wanaque Reservoir. One is Park Brook, which runs right along Peters Mine Pit and O’Connor Disposal Area, proceeds to flow into Sally’s Pond, and subsequently into the Reservoir via Ringwood Creek. Mine Brook is located approximately 200 feet west of Cannon Mine Pit and it flows south until it crosses Margaret King Ave, at which point it heads south and east towards the reservoir. Another unnamed stream flows parallel to Peters Mine Road and into Mine Brook; it has an orange spring flow into it that once was a drinking water source called the ‘Cannon Mine Road perennial spring’. Different tests have shown at different times that the water from the Cannon Mine Road perennial spring contains benzene, aerosol propellants, freon, and chlorobenzene. Other tests conducted on the same spring at different times have shown no contaminants (Maps & Charts, 2005). Many streams located in the Superfund site are categorized as Category One (C1) streams. C1 streams are subjected to more stringent protection against pollution due to their suitability as drinking water sources. As a frame of reference, FW1 waters are of the highest quality and are not to be subjected to any wastewater discharges or increased runoff due to anthropogenic activities. The streams in Ringwood are not protected to that level, but they are protected to the extent that they still need to be potable after treatment (Ringwood Borough 2005 Natural Resource Inventory, 2005). Streams in the Ringwood Mines site that are classified as C1 waters are: part of Park Brook, Mine Brook, and the Ringwood Creek by its confluence with the reservoir. Refer to the figure below for a map of the C1 waters in Ringwood, which shows that there are C1 waters right next to Peters Mine Pit. Groundwater refers to an underground supply of water, synonymous with ‘aquifer.’ Aquifers supply streams on the surface, just as streams also supply the aquifer. Rainwater also percolates through the soil to replenish the aquifer. A surficial aquifer is one that is close to the surface and is usually referred to as the water table: it can be seen when digging down five or more feet (SWAP: Aquifer Descriptions, 2007). Ringwood contains a surficial aquifer close to the Ringwood Manor and Sally’s Pond. The Borough of Ringwood is located in the heart of a large aquifer system in northern New Jersey. There are four sole source aquifers (SSA’s) that span the north section of the state: the Northwest New Jersey, the Highlands, the Ramapo, and the Ridgewood Aquifers. A SSA is an underground water supply which provides potable water for more than 50% of the residents living near it and is designated by the EPA as the principal source of drinking water for a given area (Bechdol, M., & Restivo, A., 2008). These underground water systems, along with the Wanaque Reservoir, supply millions of people in New Jersey with potable water. When Ford dumped millions of gallons of paint sludge and thousands of pounds of garbage in Ringwood beginning in 1967, they chose a site, knowingly or unknowingly, that was dangerously close to such important water supplies. Given the slow movement of groundwater through soils and rock systems, there may be a considerable delay before the full impact of the sludge is detected in the reservoir, if it is migrating (Barry, J., Layton, M. J., 2005). It is RISE’s goal to determine if acceptable measures have been taken to monitor threats to the area’s water supply. The Highlands Region, which Ringwood is part of, is a major water source (NJDEP, 2012). The two major rivers that drain the Ramapo Mountains, the Wanaque River and the Ramapo River, are water sources as well. Greenwood Lake is the source of the Wanaque River, and it is a small river for a couple miles north of Ringwood until it is dammed and becomes the vast Wanaque Reservoir. The Wanaque Reservoir is 4,697 acres and the Monksville Reservoir is 353 acres (Ringwood Borough 2005 Natural Resource Inventory, 2005). The Ramapo River, on the other hand, charges the Ramapo SSA. This aquifer supplies Oakland and Mahwah with their well water (Washburn, L, 2005). The purity of the aforementioned source has been jeopardized by Ford’s dumping of toxic waste, which was done by hired drivers. Continuous and careful monitoring of wells and sentinel wells in the area will need to continue on a long-term basis to ensure that the drinking water for these towns remains safe. If danger arises, immediate action will have to be taken to notify residents and educate them about the problem. A sentinel well is a well that is in close proximity to known contamination that determines through testing if contamination is spreading, and in which direction. The Safe Drinking Water Act was passed in 1974 to protect the quality of communities’ water. EPA established a treatment technique that requires water supply systems to control and diminish the corrosive quality of the water supply. National drinking standards are legally enforceable, which enables the EPA and states to take enforcement actions to water systems that are not in compliance with safety standards. States or the EPA may issue administrative orders, take legal action, or fine utilities (Understanding The Safe Drinking Water Act). All water suppliers must notify consumers promptly if there is a serious issue with the drinking water quality and must supply year round residents with an annual water quality report (Understanding The Safe Drinking Water Act). The purpose of examining the hydrology and groundwater at the site is to prove that adequate testing and monitoring are taking place in order to protect the aquifers and the Wanaque Reservoir System. Therefore, it is imperative to examine all of the available data provided and remediation options available and to determine the one that is best for the health of the community and the citizens of New Jersey. There have been contaminants shown to be present in Ringwood’s groundwater, but tests done by ARCADIS with EPA oversight show that the contaminants are not leaving the site. Upon investigation, it has been determined that there are certain chemicals present at the site that the NJDWSC does not test for. It was also determined that there are certain contaminants that NJDWSC is not equipped to handle. That is why long term groundwater monitoring is necessary.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 23:49:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015