Fluoride

Golden State Water Company (GSWC) - Southwest

Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems. Read More.

Fluoride has been promoted as a chemical that reduces dental cavities. Yet it is now well-established that fluoride primarily exerts its protective effects through topical mechanisms, such as sodium fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash. In contrast, long-term ingestion of fluoride in water increases dental fluorosis, which includes mottling, pitting and weakening of the teeth. EPA's maximum legal limit is set at 4 parts per million (ppm) to prevent skeletal fluorosis, a condition where bones become brittle and more susceptible to fractures, although these effects may occur at lower doses.

Even fluoride levels of 0.7 ppm, the amount of fluoride in drinking water recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service, can result in too much fluoride for bottle-fed babies. EWG recommends that caregivers mix baby formula with fluoride-free water. The National Toxicology Program is investigating the potential for low doses of fluoride to alter thyroid function and childhood brain development.

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105

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	0.800 ppm	29	29	0.400 ppm - 1.10 ppm
2015	0.780 ppm	12	12	0.570 ppm - 1.000 ppm
2016	0.700 ppm	22	22	0.400 ppm - 1.000 ppm
2017	0.690 ppm	14	14	0.320 ppm - 0.900 ppm
2018	0.700 ppm	14	14	0.400 ppm - 1.10 ppm
2019	0.700 ppm	14	14	0.300 ppm - 2.00 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 4 ppm

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-03-10	2706-005-1212	0.260 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-010-1042	0.300 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-011-1145	0.260 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-036-0805	0.250 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-037-0950	0.330 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-038-0958	0.270 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-039-1330	0.330 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-043-1200	0.260 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-045-1350	0.300 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-061-0935	0.200 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-062-0930	0.240 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-064-1024	0.240 ppm
2014-03-10	2706-069-1122	0.250 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-005-1314	0.360 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-010-0915	0.400 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-011-1356	0.350 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-036-0953	0.290 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-037-0837	0.480 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-038-0811	0.410 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-039-1221	0.400 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-043-1140	0.420 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-045-1204	0.380 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-061-1037	0.290 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-062-1017	0.320 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-064-1104	0.290 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-069-1127	0.340 ppm
2014-05-13	2706-070-1325	0.380 ppm
2014-05-19	2706-070-1300	0.390 ppm
2014-06-01		0.800 ppm*
2015-03-10	2706-010-1018	0.430 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-011-0720	0.320 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-036-0756	0.360 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-038-0735	0.410 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-039-0820	0.450 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-043-0924	0.430 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-045-0838	0.390 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-064-0915	0.320 ppm
2015-03-10	2706-069-0935	0.380 ppm
2015-06-01		0.780 ppm*
2015-09-25	2706-037-0940	0.430 ppm
2015-12-30	2706-070-1318	0.690 ppm
2016-02-11	2706-070-1010	0.390 ppm
2016-03-10	2706-036-0851	0.310 ppm
2016-03-10	2706-037-0955	0.420 ppm
2016-03-10	2706-038-1004	0.360 ppm
2016-03-10	2706-070-0955	0.380 ppm
2016-03-31	2706-011-1340	0.290 ppm
2016-04-27	2706-039-1030	0.730 ppm
2016-04-28	2706-043-1000	0.590 ppm
2016-05-04	2706-064-0815	0.540 ppm
2016-05-05	2706-005-1010	0.370 ppm
2016-05-11	2706-069-0820	0.840 ppm
2016-05-18	2706-010-0858	0.340 ppm
2016-05-19	2706-045-1130	0.580 ppm
2016-05-25	2706-061-1120	0.750 ppm
2016-05-26	2706-062-0945	0.550 ppm
2016-05-27	2706-070-1130	0.340 ppm
2016-06-01		0.700 ppm*
2016-07-07	2706-064-0725	0.260 ppm
2016-07-13	2706-039-0901	0.430 ppm
2016-09-22	2706-043-0845	0.740 ppm
2016-09-22	2706-045-1015	0.480 ppm
2016-09-22	2706-069-0820	0.650 ppm
2017-02-23	9590-073-0924	0.370 ppm
2017-03-23	9590-011-1240	0.360 ppm
2017-03-29	9590-005-1345	0.410 ppm
2017-03-29	9590-010-1050	0.450 ppm
2017-03-29	9590-036-0915	0.360 ppm
2017-03-29	9590-039-1235	0.470 ppm
2017-03-29	9590-045-1145	0.530 ppm
2017-03-29	9590-070-1307	0.420 ppm
2017-03-30	9590-037-0653	0.500 ppm
2017-03-30	9590-038-0725	0.540 ppm
2017-03-30	9590-043-0920	0.810 ppm
2017-03-30	9590-069-0845	0.640 ppm
2017-04-13	9590-064-0754	0.350 ppm
2017-06-01		0.690 ppm*
2018-01-22	9590-038-1347	0.390 ppm
2018-01-23	9590-036-1138	0.320 ppm
2018-01-24	9590-043-0940	0.650 ppm
2018-01-24	9590-069-1000	0.680 ppm
2018-02-13	9590-005-0825	0.360 ppm
2018-02-13	9590-037-0950	0.450 ppm
2018-02-13	9590-070-0807	0.380 ppm
2018-02-13	9590-073-1130	0.340 ppm
2018-02-26	9590-039-1040	0.420 ppm
2018-03-06	9590-010-0804	0.400 ppm
2018-03-06	9590-064-1115	0.310 ppm
2018-03-30	9590-011-0950	0.350 ppm
2018-05-09	9590-045-1125	0.420 ppm
2018-06-01		0.700 ppm*
2019-01-29	9590-043-1103	0.490 ppm
2019-01-29	9590-069-1048	0.720 ppm
2019-02-12	9590-010-0801	0.390 ppm
2019-02-13	9590-039-1130	0.450 ppm
2019-02-13	9590-070-1055	0.410 ppm
2019-02-13	9590-073-1225	0.360 ppm
2019-03-12	9590-011-1047	0.310 ppm
2019-03-12	9590-038-0845	0.500 ppm
2019-04-16	9590-037-1320	0.440 ppm
2019-04-16	9590-064-1350	0.300 ppm
2019-04-30	9590-045-1035	0.420 ppm
2019-06-01		0.700 ppm*
2019-06-17	9590-005-0935	0.370 ppm
2019-09-17	9590-036-0822	0.370 ppm

* Sample result is taken from the system's CCR report.