Cornelius Van Vorst, ca.1620; 
Jersey City Free Public Library; Grover Cleveland Political Cartoon; 
Seabrook Farms Collection;

Map Showing the Sources of Pollution of the Present Water Supply of Jersey City and Newark
Following the flow of the river: The flow of the river begins west of Paterson and travels South to Newark. Follow the flow of the water, and pay attention to all of the points at which more pollution is added to the river. Imagine what the water is like once it reaches Newark!
  1. What part of the river is unpolluted water?
  2. What part is polluted by sewage?
  3. What part is polluted by sewage and tide water?

    Pollution from tide water occurs because the Newark Bay connects the Passiac River to the Atlantic Ocean. The water from the river does not flow freely out to sea. Read about the problems of this tide water in a report from the Chief Engineer of Jersey City.

  4. What are the sources of pollution in the city of Paterson? (There are four!)
  5. What are the sources of pollution in the City of Passaic?
  6. What kinds of pollution are coming from Franklin, Montclair, Ridgewood, and Bloomfield? At what point on the river do these pollutants enter the Passaic?
  7. Locate the pumping stations in Newark and Jersey City. These are the intakes, or the place where water is taken in from the river and distributed for use. Why are these locations problematic?
Click here to see the map. Once you are viewing the map, you can zoom in and out to read the labels and symbols.
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