Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Forked River, NJ: what to set up and who to call
Forked River has no town government of its own, so Ocean County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Lacey Township School District. The Lacey Twp Mua water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), beginning Jul 2023.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Forked River, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Forked River.
Power comes from JCP&L
JCP&L (Jersey Central Power & Light Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Forked River. Its homes paid an average of 18.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $145 a month (its average across New Jersey, for customers on its standard service). New Jersey lets you buy power from another supplier; 9% of JCP&L’s home customers do, and JCP&L still delivers it.
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Lacey Twp Mua water system
The Lacey Twp Mua water system supplies almost all of Forked River. It draws ground water and serves 29,000 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), beginning Jul 2023. 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2026, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.4 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NJ1512001.
4 home internet providers serve Forked River
100% of 2,786 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 79% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 56% | 25/6 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 40% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Forked River’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Forked River.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Forked River is in Lacey Township School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Forked River is unincorporated, so Ocean County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Forked River is in ZIP code 08731
ZIP codes where Forked River residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Forked River | ZIP’s residents in Forked River |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08731 | Forked River, NJ | 100% | 25% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Forked River
Who supplies Forked River’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Lacey Twp Mua water system (EPA ID NJ1512001). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule). 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Forked River?
JCP&L (Jersey Central Power & Light Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 18.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Forked River?
Xfinity, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Forked River?
08731. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Forked River in?
Lacey Township School District.
How do I register to vote in Forked River?
In New Jersey you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Ocean County Clerk. Check your registration at voter.svrs.nj.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.