Deep wells on the coast draw on sands the state is watching
Saltwater intrusion is a threat the state names for the seaward and bayward margins of its aquifers. Heavy pumping near saltwater raises the risk. If you are thinking about a deeper well near the bay, talk to the county and NJDEP before you hire a driller.
Compiled from the sources listed at the end. Sources checked .
New Jersey's Water Supply Plan writes of "the threat of saltwater intrusion in seaward and bayward margins of the aquifers." It says large cones of depression near saltwater add to that risk. Its deep sands are the ones many island towns rely on.
Deep aquifers named in the Water Supply Plan
Aquifer
What the source says
Atlantic City 800-foot sand
"Vital to the water-supply needs of barrier island communities" in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties; levels "remain below sea level throughout the coastal areas of southern New Jersey," per USGS
Piney Point
Largest pumping center in coastal Ocean County includes Barnegat Light; levels in Southern Ocean County "have not stabilized and continue to decline"
NJ Water Supply Plan Appendix B; USGS Atlantic City page; town water reports
Town reports show how deep this runs. Barnegat Light draws on the Piney Point from three wells over 600 feet deep. Ship Bottom reports two wells in the Atlantic City Aquifer, over 600 feet deep. Our Long Beach Island page and Barnegat page list others. These are public wells, and a private well can differ.
Farther north, the state's plan says withdrawals in Critical Area 1 were reduced and water levels recovered substantially. We could not confirm how much of Ocean County falls inside it, so ask NJDEP about your own lot.
What does this mean for one house?
A new or deeper well is a regulated job, with questions to answer first. State health department slides put a local health certification ahead of any drilling, and a state-certified lab test once the well is done. N.J.A.C. 7:9D sets well permit and construction rules, and a licensed driller does the work. Ask what aquifer the well would reach, and what the county and NJDEP know about that aquifer near you. Where public water is available, compare it first, as in our story on switching.
If you worry about salt now, add chloride to your next test. EPA's secondary level is 250 mg/L, and it is not on the state sale test. A salty taste is a reason on its own; our road salt brief covers the same line.