The Exeter, Rhode Island zip code area 02822 operates under a critical environmental hazard designation due to significant local contamination. Residents live within a ten-mile radius of nineteen monitored waste facilities, including three active sites within just five miles. The most significant regulatory concern is the Exeter Sanitary Landfill #2, an active EPA Superfund site located approximately three miles from the residential center. Additional active sites complicating the regional environmental profile include the Richmond Town Landfill and the Exeter Town Dump.

The EPA classifies the primary contaminants at the Exeter Sanitary Landfill #2 as unspecified hazardous substances. In legacy landfill environments, these substances typically include volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and industrial solvents that can migrate into local groundwater aquifers and soil vapor. Long-term exposure to these agents through residential drinking water or vapor intrusion increases the risks of neurological issues, organ damage, and chronic respiratory problems. The Exeter Sanitary Landfill #2 remains in an active remediation stage on the National Priorities List, meaning the EPA continually executes or monitors containment strategies while permanent cleanup objectives remain unfulfilled.

Because this region features high concentrations of active dumpsites with potential groundwater impacts, residents relying on private wells must schedule annual water testing for volatile organic compounds and heavy metals through a state-certified laboratory. Individuals living near these historical landfill boundaries should install certified reverse osmosis water filtration systems to neutralize potential ingestion risks. Property owners must also schedule indoor soil vapor intrusion testing to detect hazardous gases migrating from subsurface plumes.