AN ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION FROM ABANDONED MINES AND LANDFILL IN RINGWOOD, NEW JERSEY

Groundwater is a very important resource that is used as a drinking water source for almost half of New Jersey population. Ringwood, located in Passaic County New Jersey has a rich iron mining history. The 500-acre Ringwood Mines/Landfill site is a Superfund site with features comprising inactive landfills, abandoned mine shafts and pits, and open waste dumps. For decades, this Superfund site has been the subject of environmental and health concern. Ringwood Borough has an area of 28 square miles, with elevations ranging from 250 feet above sea level in low-lying areas near water bodies to over 1,000 feet in the hills. The area is underlain by gneiss and groundwater flows from the mountain areas to the lowland areas into lakes and the Wanaque Reservoir that supplies drinking water to over 3 million residents in the north eastern part of New Jersey. A better understanding of the groundwater flow will help in proffering solutions to problems associated with drinking water supply. The study aims to determine the pathway of contaminants from the mines and landfill. The contaminants can threaten the Wanaque Reservoir that supplies drinking water to New Jersey residents. Hydrogeological parameters of the study were transformed into numerical models using MODFLOW and MODPATH to provide possible pathway of contaminants. The model was calibrated to reported groundwater recharge. The results show that the contaminants in the mines and landfill area can threaten the Wanaque Reservoir and drinking water supply.

Keywords: MODFLOW, MODPATH, drinking water, Wanaque Reservoir