Fluoride

Valencia Water Company

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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113

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	0.454 ppm	19	19	0.210 ppm - 0.880 ppm
2015	0.423 ppm	19	19	0.220 ppm - 0.860 ppm
2016	0.434 ppm	19	19	0.220 ppm - 0.840 ppm
2017	0.415 ppm	19	19	0.200 ppm - 0.820 ppm
2018	0.476 ppm	18	18	0.230 ppm - 0.900 ppm
2019	0.446 ppm	19	19	0.210 ppm - 0.950 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
2014-07-02	9590-021-0800	0.830 ppm
2014-07-02	9590-052-0800	0.350 ppm
2014-07-02	9590-062-0835	0.880 ppm
2014-07-09	9590-005-0800	0.370 ppm
2014-07-09	9590-018-0810	0.360 ppm
2014-07-09	9590-024-0925	0.340 ppm
2014-07-09	9590-026-0845	0.390 ppm
2014-07-09	9590-058-0850	0.370 ppm
2014-07-16	9590-017-1120	0.680 ppm
2014-07-16	9590-025-0910	0.330 ppm
2014-07-16	9590-046-1030	0.320 ppm
2014-07-16	9590-049-0800	0.690 ppm
2014-07-16	9590-051-0830	0.690 ppm
2014-07-16	9590-070-0945	0.360 ppm
2014-07-23	9590-003-0815	0.430 ppm
2014-07-23	9590-004-0930	0.340 ppm
2014-07-23	9590-047-0900	0.340 ppm
2014-07-23	9590-048-0900	0.350 ppm
2014-07-23	9590-073-0945	0.210 ppm
2015-07-09	9590-021-1000	0.750 ppm
2015-07-09	9590-052-0830	0.330 ppm
2015-07-09	9590-062-0930	0.860 ppm
2015-07-16	9590-005-0955	0.320 ppm
2015-07-16	9590-018-0915	0.300 ppm
2015-07-16	9590-024-0830	0.310 ppm
2015-07-16	9590-026-0925	0.330 ppm
2015-07-16	9590-058-0942	0.300 ppm
2015-07-23	9590-017-1104	0.670 ppm
2015-07-23	9590-025-0932	0.300 ppm
2015-07-23	9590-046-0945	0.280 ppm
2015-07-23	9590-049-1002	0.640 ppm
2015-07-23	9590-051-1034	0.600 ppm
2015-07-23	9590-070-1015	0.330 ppm
2015-07-30	9590-003-0810	0.440 ppm
2015-07-30	9590-004-0955	0.340 ppm
2015-07-30	9590-047-1015	0.350 ppm
2015-07-30	9590-048-0915	0.360 ppm
2015-07-30	9590-073-0840	0.220 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-005-0832	0.320 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-018-0852	0.310 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-021-1014	0.760 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-024-0803	0.300 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-026-0816	0.330 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-052-1001	0.300 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-058-0913	0.300 ppm
2016-07-14	9590-062-1024	0.840 ppm
2016-07-21	9590-017-0955	0.630 ppm
2016-07-21	9590-046-0902	0.320 ppm
2016-07-21	9590-051-1018	0.660 ppm
2016-07-21	9590-070-0923	0.360 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-003-0906	0.440 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-004-1007	0.360 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-025-1105	0.370 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-047-1016	0.400 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-048-1030	0.310 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-049-0946	0.720 ppm
2016-07-28	9590-073-0926	0.220 ppm
2017-07-06	9588-021-0910	0.760 ppm
2017-07-06	9588-052-0940	0.330 ppm
2017-07-06	9588-062-0920	0.820 ppm
2017-07-13	9588-005-0839	0.300 ppm
2017-07-13	9588-018-0851	0.280 ppm
2017-07-13	9588-024-0808	0.310 ppm
2017-07-13	9588-026-0819	0.320 ppm
2017-07-13	9588-058-0906	0.300 ppm
2017-07-20	9588-017-1010	0.690 ppm
2017-07-20	9588-025-0905	0.340 ppm
2017-07-20	9588-046-0920	0.310 ppm
2017-07-20	9588-049-0955	0.610 ppm
2017-07-20	9588-051-1030	0.610 ppm
2017-07-20	9588-070-0940	0.360 ppm
2017-07-27	9588-003-0845	0.390 ppm
2017-07-27	9588-004-0825	0.320 ppm
2017-07-27	9588-047-0820	0.320 ppm
2017-07-27	9588-048-0945	0.310 ppm
2017-07-27	9588-073-0750	0.200 ppm
2018-07-05	9590-021-0947	0.890 ppm
2018-07-05	9590-052-1020	0.330 ppm
2018-07-05	9590-062-1000	0.900 ppm
2018-07-12	9590-005-0820	0.350 ppm
2018-07-12	9590-018-0835	0.330 ppm
2018-07-12	9590-024-0800	0.340 ppm
2018-07-12	9590-026-0810	0.350 ppm
2018-07-12	9590-058-0845	0.350 ppm
2018-07-19	9590-017-0935	0.790 ppm
2018-07-19	9590-025-0750	0.380 ppm
2018-07-19	9590-046-0825	0.340 ppm
2018-07-19	9590-049-0850	0.720 ppm
2018-07-19	9590-051-0905	0.690 ppm
2018-07-19	9590-070-0805	0.400 ppm
2018-07-26	9590-003-0910	0.450 ppm
2018-07-26	9590-004-1010	0.370 ppm
2018-07-26	9590-047-0955	0.350 ppm
2018-07-26	9590-073-0850	0.230 ppm
2019-07-10	9590-005-1045	0.320 ppm
2019-07-10	9590-018-1115	0.300 ppm
2019-07-10	9590-024-0910	0.340 ppm
2019-07-10	9590-026-0945	0.280 ppm
2019-07-10	9590-058-1140	0.320 ppm
2019-07-11	9590-021-0925	0.950 ppm
2019-07-11	9590-052-1045	0.330 ppm
2019-07-11	9590-062-1000	0.810 ppm
2019-07-17	9590-017-0910	0.700 ppm
2019-07-17	9590-025-0840	0.390 ppm
2019-07-17	9590-046-0945	0.390 ppm
2019-07-17	9590-049-0840	0.660 ppm
2019-07-17	9590-051-1005	0.660 ppm
2019-07-17	9590-070-0920	0.390 ppm
2019-07-24	9590-003-0955	0.410 ppm
2019-07-24	9590-004-1010	0.350 ppm
2019-07-24	9590-047-0930	0.380 ppm
2019-07-24	9590-073-0915	0.210 ppm
2019-11-21	9590-048-1120	0.290 ppm