The honest answer from a local NJ Licensed Master Plumber. Covers what's actually in Monmouth County tap water, which towns are most affected, what the 2026 Keyport cancer cluster means for your family, and what to do about it.
Monmouth County tap water is federally legal — but NJ ranks 2nd worst in the nation for drinking water quality (2025 study, 2019–2023 EPA data). 131 contaminants have been detected since 2013. 63% of NJ water systems test positive for PFAS. The April 2026 Keyport cancer cluster investigation adds a local emergency. "Legal" and "safe by modern standards" are not the same thing — and most families are already paying for that gap with their skin, hair, appliances, and health.
Understanding your water starts with knowing where it originates. In Monmouth County, the answer varies by town — but most residents get their tap water from one of three sources:
The dominant provider. Serves approximately 2.9 million NJ residents statewide and the majority of Monmouth County, including Keyport, Middletown, Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Holmdel, Hazlet, Keansburg, Eatontown, Freehold, Matawan, and most coastal and central townships. Primary source: the Swimming River Water Treatment Plant in Colts Neck, drawing from the Swimming River reservoir.
Some boroughs run their own systems. Keyport Water Department (PWS ID NJ1322001) is one example.
Approximately 1.1 million NJ residents statewide rely on private well water. In Monmouth County, private wells are common in rural portions of Marlboro, Holmdel, Colts Neck, and Howell. Private wells are not regulated by the EPA — homeowners are responsible for their own testing and treatment.
Source: NJ American Water Territory Map; 2024 Coastal North CCR.
To kill bacteria in source water, utilities add chlorine or chloramines. Those disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic matter in the water and produce byproducts called trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Epidemiologic studies link THMs to increased bladder cancer risk — with some estimates placing THMs as responsible for 2–17% of all bladder cancers diagnosed annually in the US. Disinfection byproducts have been linked to miscarriage, cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects, and low birth weight during pregnancy. Disinfection byproducts appear in 88% of NJ water systems.
PFAS are a class of industrial chemicals that don't break down in the environment or the human body. NJ was the first state in the nation to set enforceable PFAS drinking water standards (2018–2020). The new federal EPA standard (2024) sets PFOA and PFOS limits at 4 ppt — lower than NJ's 14 ppt. Water providers have until 2029 to comply. A January 2025 NIEHS study estimated that PFAS in drinking water accounts for 4,626–6,864 new cancer cases per year in the US alone. PFAS also absorbs through skin during showering — 13.5% dermal absorption into the bloodstream.
Any home built before 1986 may still have lead service lines or lead solder. NJ law requires replacement of all lead service lines by 2031. NJ American Water began door-to-door canvassing across Monmouth County in February 2023. Estimated replacement cost across its Monmouth/Ocean territory: approximately $7.3 million, funded in part by a $0.91/month ratepayer fee.
NJ American Water has used chloramines (chlorine + ammonia) in the Coastal System since June 2012. Every February through April, the utility switches temporarily to free chlorine to flush the pipes — causing the "pool smell" that Monmouth residents notice each spring. During these switches, THM levels can temporarily spike.
Keyport's municipal supply specifically shows detections of manganese — chronic exposure may impair children's attention, memory, and intellectual capacity. Private wells in rural Monmouth (especially Marlboro, Holmdel, Colts Neck) face elevated risk of arsenic due to natural geology. VOCs (benzene, TCE, PCE) are associated with the county's Superfund and brownfield sites.
Sources: NJ1015 — 2nd worst in US; EWG Tap Water Database NJ; NJDEP PFAS Standards; NIEHS PFAS Cancer Study; NCI — DBPs and Cancer.
On April 18, 2026, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. formally demanded federal and state investigation into a suspected cancer cluster in Keyport, NJ. A local resident had mapped 41 confirmed cancer cases in the borough of roughly 7,000 people, with 28 cases concentrated on or near First Street. The cluster surrounds the former Aeromarine landfill, which has been hit with state fines nearing $900,000 across 2024–2025.
Environmental assessments have documented benzene, PCBs, heavy metals, and methane at the Aeromarine site, with contaminated groundwater actively discharging into Chingarora Creek. The last comprehensive study of the site was conducted in 2010.
For Monmouth County homeowners, this story crystallizes a pattern: legal compliance with decades-old federal standards does not equal safety. Contaminated sites sit inside the same watersheds that feed municipal and well water. And when residents are harmed, investigation and remediation can take decades.
→ Read the full Keyport cancer cluster breakdown and what it means for nearby homeowners.
Source: Congressman Pallone's press release, April 2026; News 12 NJ.
Not every Monmouth County town faces the same risks. Based on water source, infrastructure age, and local contaminated sites:
Sources: NJDEP Known Contaminated Sites; EPA Superfund — Burnt Fly Bog; Monmouth Conservation Foundation — Red Bank EPA Grant.
If your home is on a private well — common in rural Marlboro, Holmdel, Colts Neck, and Howell — your water is not regulated by the EPA. That means no annual Consumer Confidence Report, no required testing, and no one legally responsible for what comes out of your tap except you.
Since December 2021, over 20,000 private wells have been tested under the NJ Private Well Testing Act. About 11% of wells tested exceed NJ's safe PFAS standard — extrapolating to roughly 2,200+ NJ private wells with dangerous PFAS levels. Private wells in Central/South NJ geology also face elevated arsenic risk, and wells near industrial legacy sites can show VOCs like TCE and PCE.
Private well owners should test at minimum every 3–5 years — and after any significant local environmental event (landfill fire, nearby construction, flooding). FIXALL provides well-specific water testing and installs whole-home filtration calibrated for well-water chemistry.
Source: NJDEP Private Well Testing Program; NJ1015 — PFAS in NJ Wells.
FIXALL provides free in-home water testing for Monmouth County residents. We check chlorine, hardness, pH, total dissolved solids, and visible sediment on the spot. For concerns about PFAS, VOCs, heavy metals, or lead, we direct you to certified independent labs.
Every public water system publishes an annual CCR. Look for levels of TTHMs, HAA5, PFOA/PFOS, lead, and manganese. Compare to the EWG's health guideline values, not just federal legal limits — there's often a massive gap.
The single most effective action a homeowner can take. Whole-home filtration treats water at the point of entry, so every drop in the house — drinking, cooking, showering, laundry — is protected. Here's how the main options compare:
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher / Faucet Filter | Cheap, easy | Drinking water only; misses showering, laundry, dishwasher, ice maker |
| Under-Sink RO | Excellent for PFAS removal at one tap | Still only one tap; doesn't protect appliances, skin, hair |
| Salt Water Softener | Cheap to install | Heavy salt bags; discharges brine to septic; adds sodium to drinking water; no contaminant filtration |
| Halo 5 Whole-Home | Salt-free; no electricity; 10-yr warranty; filters chlorine, VOCs, THMs, sediment + conditions hardness; 1M–3M gallons lifespan | Higher upfront cost than single-tap filters |
| Halo 5 + Kitchen RO (FIXALL's recommended combo) | Whole-home protection + PFAS-grade kitchen drinking water. Gold standard. | Two systems; highest upfront cost, but still one-time |
FIXALL is based in Keyport, serving all of Monmouth County. Book a free on-site water test. We show you exactly what's in your water and exactly what it will take to protect your family — no obligation, no pressure.
FIXALL is based in Keyport, serving all of Monmouth County. Book a free in-home water test — no obligation, no pressure, just answers.