The water contamination at Camp Lejeune occurred over a period of 34 years, from 1953 to 1987. Throughout this time, multiple sources caused dangerous substances and chemicals to breach the water supply at multiple water plants serving the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Through seepage into the groundwater and improper disposal of hazardous materials, the contaminants included compounds such as PCE and TCE.
The substances made its way into the water and were part of the daily life for the inhabitants of the area, visitors and those working on the base which included military service people, their families and civilians. Some of the known sources identified as culprits of the contamination included dry cleaning services, on-base storage facilities, industrial spills, waste disposal companies, and the activities on the base itself using solvents for cleaning.