Well Water Nerd

Well water in Toms River township, New Jersey

In Toms River township, none of 70 tested well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate, based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.

The strongest signal is PFOA: 10% of 40 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit, too few samples to carry the headline but first on the test list below.

755 private wells tested 2002 to 2024 in state summaries; 508 test results across 13 contaminants from at least 56 wells, 1954 to 2024; sodium has the most at 86. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built

What homeowner tests found

NJDEP Private Well Testing Act summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2002 to 2024. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.

ContaminantAbove state levelWells testedMedian95th pctHighestState level
Iron752300 ug/L
Manganese75250 ug/L
Gross alpha68715 pCi/L
PFOA4014 ng/L
Total coliform752
PFOS4013 ng/L
PFNA4013 ng/L
E. coli
Fecal coliform or
752
Arsenic2265 ug/L
Nitrate75510 mg/L

What individual samples found

Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Toms River township. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.

ContaminantAbove limitSamplesDetectedMedianHighestLimit
Nitrate
1981 to 2024
7087%1.158.410 mg/L
EPA limit
Lead
1981 to 2024
6733%011.115 ug/L
EPA limit
Radium (226 + 228)
1990 to 2018
5491%1.753.15 pCi/L
EPA limit
Arsenic
1981 to 2024
2726%0210 ug/L
EPA limit
Uranium
1990 to 2018
176%00.0430 ug/L
EPA limit
Sodium
1958 to 2024
no limit86100%10.995.220 mg/L
health guideline
Iron
1954 to 2024
no limit7679%90.85,900300 ug/L
nuisance level
Manganese
1958 to 2024
no limit7495%22.5210300 ug/L
health guideline
Radon
1990 to 2006
no limit3197%2206702,000 pCi/L
health guideline

Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: PFOA (2), PFOS (2), Fluoride (1), Chloride (1).

Closer than the town

See the sampled wells near your address

The same records, drawn around one point: which wells within a few miles were sampled and what they found, how deep the wells next to you were drilled, and any leaking tank or cleanup site within a mile.

Check my address

What this means

Among homeowners in Toms River township who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were PFOA (10% of 40 wells), total coliform (6% of 752 wells), and PFOS (5% of 40 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.

Iron and manganese exceed the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; these are mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.

What to test for in Toms River township

  1. 1
    PFOA
    10% of 40 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
  2. 2
    Total coliform
    6% of 752 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit (any detection).
  3. 3
    PFOS
    5% of 40 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
  4. 4
    PFNA
    5% of 40 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
  5. 5
    E. coli
    <1% of 752 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit (any detection).
  6. 6
    Arsenic
    <1% of 226 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
  7. 7
    Gross alpha
    11% of 687 local wells tested were above the New Jersey limit.
  8. 8
    Radon
    Median local reading is 220 pCi/L.
  9. 9
    Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
    2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
  10. 10
    Metals panel
    2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.

Test your Toms River township well for PFOA, total coliform and PFOS

Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.

Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report

Just want bacteria checked first? Tap Score coliform and E. coli test, $99. Coliform and E. coli are the tests every well needs every year.

Want a quick look before paying for a lab? Home well water test strips on Amazon check hardness, iron, pH and nitrate in minutes. They are a screen, not a result: arsenic, bacteria, uranium and PFAS need a certified lab.

Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Where to get a well tested in New Jersey: certified labs, state programs and prices.

Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Toms River township numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.

The rock under Toms River township

Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system

Semiconsolidated sand. Coastal plain sands like these give steady yields at moderate depth. Salt water and sodium are the usual issues near the coast, and nitrate where the water table is shallow; arsenic and radon from bedrock are less common.

Classification from the USGS Principal Aquifers of the United States (national map, 2003 edition, GIS release 2015), read at the town centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.

Official help in New Jersey

Two places to start that are not selling anything: the state program that answers private well questions, and its list of labs certified to run drinking water tests. A certified lab is the difference between a result you can act on and a number.

Contamination sources on record in Toms River township

NJDEP records 2 hazardous waste sites in Toms River township, among 376 regulated sites in total. Groundwater does not follow property lines, so a well within a few hundred feet of one of these is worth testing for what that site could release.

2
hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
338
registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
2
lined landfills and transfer facilities
34
other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

PFOA

Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange

Total coliform

Inspect and repair the well cap and casing, then shock chlorinate and retest; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system

PFOS

Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange

PFNA

Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange

Gross alpha

Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Water softener (cation exchange) for radium; Anion exchange for uranium

Iron

Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration

Systems we would look at first

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.

For PFOA

Under-sink reverse osmosis system

under-sink or countertop, about $300

Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.

For PFOA

Whole-house PFAS carbon system

whole-house, at the point of entry, about $3,000

Granular activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS; replace media on schedule.

For PFOA

Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis

under-sink or countertop, about $225

Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.

For total coliform

Aquasana Rhino Well Water with UV

whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,871

Whole-house system built for wells: sediment pre-filter, KDF and carbon, and a UV lamp rated to kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses. It does not remove arsenic, nitrate, uranium or radon.

For PFOS

Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage under-sink filter

under-sink or countertop, about $175

Certified to NSF/ANSI 53 to reduce 99% of lead and 99.7% of PFOA and PFOS at the tap. Not a fix for arsenic, nitrate or bacteria.

For PFOS

Aquasana HealthShield whole-house filter

whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,099

Whole-house carbon system the maker certifies to reduce PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) and VOCs at every tap; a UV option adds bacteria protection.

Free, no obligation

Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Toms River township

No water treatment company serves Toms River township through Well Water Nerd yet. We are signing licensed companies on county by county: they test at your tap for free, walk you through the numbers, and quote treatment only if something needs fixing. Leave your details and you are first in line. Nothing is shared until a company joins for Toms River township, and you get an email naming it first.

What are you worried about?

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Common questions

Is there arsenic in well water in Toms River township?

Arsenic was detected in 26% of 27 public well samples in Toms River township, and 0% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.

How high is radon in well water in Toms River township?

The median radon level across 31 public samples in Toms River township was 220 pCi/L, with a high of 670 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Toms River township?

Test for bacteria and nitrate every year. Test once for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride, manganese and PFAS, then again every three to five years or after any change in taste, color, or plumbing.

Towns near Toms River township

Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next town over is a fair second opinion.

Want the numbers themselves? Download the New Jersey dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.

Sources

  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 508 samples in Toms River township. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  • NJDEP Private Well Testing Act summaries: summaries for 10 contaminants in Toms River township, up to 755 wells each. Share of private wells exceeding each standard in tests required at sale or lease under the New Jersey Private Well Testing Act, September 2002 to December 2024, published by NJDEP. Tests are untreated water at the time of sale or lease, so every well is counted once per transaction. Municipalities with fewer than ten wells are suppressed. Standards are New Jersey's: arsenic 5 ug/L, PFOA 14 ng/L, PFOS 13 ng/L, PFNA 13 ng/L, manganese and iron secondary standards. Uranium and PFAS were added to the required panel in 2021 and 2020, so their well counts are smaller. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  • NJDEP regulated sites: 376 regulated sites located in Toms River township. Known Contaminated Sites, regulated underground storage tank facilities and solid waste landfills from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ-GeoWeb). Retrieved September 9, 2026.

Non-detects count as samples and are treated as zero when computing medians. Exactly at the limit counts as not above it. A sample belongs to the town containing the well's reported coordinates.