Causes of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
Water from the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant and the Hadnot Point Treatment Plant were found to be contaminated primarily by two toxic chemicals.
The Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant was contaminated by perchloroethylene (PCE), a colorless liquid most commonly used for dry cleaning. The source of this contamination was found to be the waste disposal practices of an off-base dry cleaning company. The PCE levels at the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant highly exceeded current standards between November 1957 and February 1987, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry.
At the Hadnot Point Treatment Plant, the water was contaminated by trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile anesthetic. Underground storage tank leaks, industrial area spills and water disposal sites are believed to have been the sources of the TCE contamination.