The USGS New Jersey Water Science Center is providing technical hydrologic assistance to the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey, regarding contamination issues associated with perfluorinated compounds, such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and other perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater and surface water.
The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) is assessing the current location and extent of PFAS contamination at JBMDL, as well as whether PFAS have migrated outside the boundaries of JBMDL and into public and private drinking water supplies.
In cooperation with AFCEC, the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center has developed a hydrostratigraphic framework of JBMDL and vicinity to better understand the hydrogeology of the Kirkwood-Cohansey and Vincentown aquifers that contain, or may contain, PFAS. A groundwater flow model is also in development to represent the groundwater flow system and the potential PFAS migration pathways from known source areas on JBMDL to potential receptors outside JBMDL boundaries, as well as to identify potential unknown source areas of known PFAS contamination areas. These efforts included a synoptic water-level gaging event that yielded over 500 measurements across JBMDL and surrounding area, completed jointly with contractors of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a one week time period.
PFAS has been detected in two lakes near JBMDL—Little Pine Lake in Browns Mills, New Jersey and Pine Lake in Manchester Township, New Jersey. A gain/loss assessment is currently underway by USGS to determine the potential of PFAS to exit these lake surface waters and enter the unconfined aquifer system that supplies drinking water to neighboring communities. Groundwater piezometers and surface water monitors have been installed at both sites to continuously record water level and temperature conditions in the lakes and the underlying aquifer.
For more information on PFAS at JBMDL, please visit https://www.jbmdl.jb.mil/PFCs/
Publications from current and previous investigations.
Hydrogeology and gain/loss assessment of two lakes contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, vicinity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2020–21
Regional hydrostratigraphic framework of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of perfluoroalkyl substances contamination of groundwater and surface water
Hydrogeologic barriers to the infiltration of treated wastewater at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Land Application Site, Burlington County, New Jersey
Radiochemical sampling and analysis of shallow ground water and sediment at the BOMARC Missile Facility, east-central New Jersey, 1999-2000
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The USGS New Jersey Water Science Center is providing technical hydrologic assistance to the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey, regarding contamination issues associated with perfluorinated compounds, such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and other perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater and surface water.
The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) is assessing the current location and extent of PFAS contamination at JBMDL, as well as whether PFAS have migrated outside the boundaries of JBMDL and into public and private drinking water supplies.
Exposure of the clay-sand facies of the Cohansey Formation in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. In cooperation with AFCEC, the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center has developed a hydrostratigraphic framework of JBMDL and vicinity to better understand the hydrogeology of the Kirkwood-Cohansey and Vincentown aquifers that contain, or may contain, PFAS. A groundwater flow model is also in development to represent the groundwater flow system and the potential PFAS migration pathways from known source areas on JBMDL to potential receptors outside JBMDL boundaries, as well as to identify potential unknown source areas of known PFAS contamination areas. These efforts included a synoptic water-level gaging event that yielded over 500 measurements across JBMDL and surrounding area, completed jointly with contractors of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a one week time period.
PFAS has been detected in two lakes near JBMDL—Little Pine Lake in Browns Mills, New Jersey and Pine Lake in Manchester Township, New Jersey. A gain/loss assessment is currently underway by USGS to determine the potential of PFAS to exit these lake surface waters and enter the unconfined aquifer system that supplies drinking water to neighboring communities. Groundwater piezometers and surface water monitors have been installed at both sites to continuously record water level and temperature conditions in the lakes and the underlying aquifer.
For more information on PFAS at JBMDL, please visit https://www.jbmdl.jb.mil/PFCs/
- Multimedia
- Publications
Publications from current and previous investigations.
Hydrogeology and gain/loss assessment of two lakes contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, vicinity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2020–21
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been identified in two lakes near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey—Little Pine Lake in Pemberton Township and Pine Lake in Manchester Township. The streams that enter these lakes begin in or near JBMDL where sources of PFAS contamination are located. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Civil EngineRegional hydrostratigraphic framework of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of perfluoroalkyl substances contamination of groundwater and surface water
A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, to describe the regional hydrostratigraphy of shallow aquifers and confining units underlying Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) and vicinity, New Jersey, in the context of contamination of groundwater and surface water by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) potentially originating from JBMDLHydrogeologic barriers to the infiltration of treated wastewater at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Land Application Site, Burlington County, New Jersey
For the final phase of wastewater treatment operations at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey, treated effluent is pumped to 12 infiltration basins on a Land Application Site to recharge the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. Two of the 12 infiltration basins are operationally ineffective because discharged effluent fails to percolate and remains ponded on tRadiochemical sampling and analysis of shallow ground water and sediment at the BOMARC Missile Facility, east-central New Jersey, 1999-2000
A field sampling experiment was designed using low-flow purging with a portable pump and sample-collection equipment for the collection of water and sediment samples from observation wells screened in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system to determine radionuclide or trace-element concentrations for various size fractions. Selected chemical and physical characteristics were determined for water sam - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.