Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Camden Wyoming Sewer and Water Authority

Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems to prevent cavities and support oral health in people.

In 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services updated its recommendation of an optimal level of 0.7 parts per million, or ppm, added to drinking water based on the health benefits of tooth decay prevention. Studies have shown that fluoride added to community water systems at this level reduces dental cavities, especially in children.

And studies have conclusively shown that fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash can also provide these benefits. Read More.

Health Concerns

Although the HHS-recommended level of 0.7 ppm can help promote oral health in children and adults, this level is likely too high for bottle-fed babies. EWG recommends that caregivers mix baby formula with fluoride-free water.

And fluoride in water at higher levels can be detrimental for everyone, especially children.

Long-term ingestion of higher levels of fluoride in water increases dental fluorosis, which includes mottling, pitting and weakening of the teeth in children.

A 2024 authoritative assessment by the National Toxicology Program found that higher levels of fluoride exposure, such as drinking water containing more than 1.5 ppm of fluoride, are associated with lower IQ in children. The conclusion was based on studies in human populations outside of the U.S.

Affecting systems with naturally occurring fluoride, 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 fracture. But these effects may occur at lower levels of exposure, raising concerns that the current limit may not adequately protect public health.

 

223

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.328 ppm3936ND - 0.839 ppm
20190.397 ppm38380.0515 ppm - 0.828 ppm
20200.462 ppm37370.0552 ppm - 0.838 ppm
20210.390 ppm38380.0557 ppm - 0.842 ppm
20220.346 ppm35350.0555 ppm - 0.854 ppm
20230.300 ppm3623ND - 0.850 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 4 ppm

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-18S7236700.790 ppm
2018-01-18S723671ND
2018-01-18S7236720.380 ppm
2018-02-15S723708ND
2018-02-15S7237090.770 ppm
2018-02-15S723710ND
2018-03-14S7237200.1000 ppm
2018-03-14S7237210.300 ppm
2018-03-14S7237220.400 ppm
2018-03-23S7839890.200 ppm
2018-04-19S7236980.491 ppm
2018-04-19S7236990.0603 ppm
2018-04-19S7237000.530 ppm
2018-05-18S3635000.0600 ppm
2018-05-18S3635010.733 ppm
2018-05-18S3635020.309 ppm
2018-06-12S7237370.0652 ppm
2018-06-12S7237380.302 ppm
2018-06-12S7237390.195 ppm
2018-07-12S7237640.0810 ppm
2018-07-12S7237650.574 ppm
2018-07-12S7237710.418 ppm
2018-08-09S7237490.1000 ppm
2018-08-09S7237500.176 ppm
2018-08-09S7237510.816 ppm
2018-09-11S7237800.839 ppm
2018-09-11S7237810.0762 ppm
2018-09-11S7237820.754 ppm
2018-10-17S7237870.832 ppm
2018-10-17S7237880.269 ppm
2018-10-17S7237890.0744 ppm
2018-11-14S7238090.0708 ppm
2018-11-14S7238110.124 ppm
2018-11-14S7238160.201 ppm
2018-12-12S7238240.0625 ppm
2018-12-12S7238250.526 ppm
2018-12-12S7238310.280 ppm
2018-12-21S8552000.753 ppm
2018-12-27S7923450.0636 ppm
2019-01-15S7238320.0710 ppm
2019-01-15S7238330.590 ppm
2019-01-15S7238340.387 ppm
2019-02-19S7237730.0525 ppm
2019-02-19S7237740.752 ppm
2019-02-19S7237750.0814 ppm
2019-03-13S7238420.773 ppm
2019-03-13S7238430.0573 ppm
2019-03-13S7238440.148 ppm
2019-04-15S7238700.755 ppm
2019-04-15S7238710.127 ppm
2019-04-15S7238720.0515 ppm
2019-05-22S7238190.547 ppm
2019-05-22S7238200.533 ppm
2019-05-22S7238230.681 ppm
2019-06-11S7238890.580 ppm
2019-06-11S7238980.578 ppm
2019-07-09S7238000.548 ppm
2019-07-09S7238030.557 ppm
2019-07-09S7238060.580 ppm
2019-08-07S7238900.0678 ppm
2019-08-07S7238930.0670 ppm
2019-08-07S7238960.0665 ppm
2019-09-10S7239220.342 ppm
2019-09-10S7239250.797 ppm
2019-09-10S7239280.0634 ppm
2019-10-08S7238990.569 ppm
2019-10-08S7239260.0737 ppm
2019-10-08S7239270.828 ppm
2019-10-29S9204120.0670 ppm
2019-10-29S9251220.579 ppm
2019-10-29S9251230.782 ppm
2019-11-05S7239110.0724 ppm
2019-11-05S7239120.813 ppm
2019-11-05S8960220.205 ppm
2019-12-10S8960270.0597 ppm
2019-12-10S8960280.652 ppm
2019-12-10S8960310.528 ppm
2020-01-07S8960440.0661 ppm
2020-01-07S8960450.800 ppm
2020-01-07S8960460.626 ppm
2020-02-04S7237610.492 ppm
2020-02-04S9255640.0688 ppm
2020-03-10S8960540.0699 ppm
2020-03-10S8960550.838 ppm
2020-03-10S8960560.362 ppm
2020-04-08S8960670.576 ppm
2020-04-08S8960680.577 ppm
2020-04-08S8960690.565 ppm
2020-05-05S8960650.793 ppm
2020-05-05S8960660.553 ppm
2020-05-05S8960760.760 ppm
2020-06-02S8960910.407 ppm
2020-06-02S8960920.483 ppm
2020-06-02S8960930.813 ppm
2020-07-08S8960950.604 ppm
2020-07-08S9258790.391 ppm
2020-08-06S3635380.205 ppm
2020-08-06S3635390.278 ppm
2020-08-06S3635400.357 ppm
2020-09-03S9020260.808 ppm
2020-09-03S9020270.371 ppm
2020-09-03S9020280.0601 ppm
2020-10-08S9020290.810 ppm
2020-10-08S9020300.461 ppm
2020-10-08S9020310.0552 ppm
2020-11-04S9259390.728 ppm
2020-11-04S9259400.229 ppm
2020-11-04S9259410.265 ppm
2020-12-02S9259420.574 ppm
2020-12-02S9259430.0624 ppm
2020-12-02S9259440.678 ppm
2020-12-07S9696520.0608 ppm
2020-12-07S9696530.694 ppm
2020-12-07S9696540.541 ppm
2021-01-12S9259490.480 ppm
2021-01-12S9259500.842 ppm
2021-01-12S9259510.571 ppm
2021-02-02S9020320.0995 ppm
2021-02-02S9259520.231 ppm
2021-02-02S9259530.549 ppm
2021-03-02S9020330.0560 ppm
2021-03-02S9020340.812 ppm
2021-03-02S9020350.508 ppm
2021-04-07S9020360.0639 ppm
2021-04-07S9020370.0629 ppm
2021-04-07S9020390.105 ppm
2021-05-04S9020400.146 ppm
2021-05-04S9020410.785 ppm
2021-06-01S9020430.793 ppm
2021-06-01S9020440.0574 ppm
2021-06-01S9020450.168 ppm
2021-07-06S9020460.0557 ppm
2021-07-06S9020470.291 ppm
2021-07-06S9020480.434 ppm
2021-08-03S3635410.424 ppm
2021-08-03S3635420.474 ppm
2021-08-03S9020490.0627 ppm
2021-09-07S3635450.0624 ppm
2021-09-07S3635470.483 ppm
2021-09-07S3635480.524 ppm
2021-10-05S9020560.811 ppm
2021-10-05S9020570.817 ppm
2021-10-05S9020580.807 ppm
2021-10-06S11176130.0639 ppm
2021-10-06S11176140.814 ppm
2021-10-06S11176150.125 ppm
2021-11-09S9020590.775 ppm
2021-11-09S9020610.149 ppm
2021-11-09S9020620.232 ppm
2021-12-14S9020630.842 ppm
2021-12-14S9020640.161 ppm
2021-12-14S9020650.0714 ppm
2022-01-04S9020660.0749 ppm
2022-01-04S9020670.849 ppm
2022-01-04S9020680.668 ppm
2022-02-08S9020720.0620 ppm
2022-02-08S9020730.832 ppm
2022-03-01S9021230.0643 ppm
2022-03-01S9021240.777 ppm
2022-03-01S9021250.145 ppm
2022-04-05S9021260.134 ppm
2022-04-05S9021270.140 ppm
2022-04-05S9021280.162 ppm
2022-05-03S9021290.831 ppm
2022-05-03S9021300.0555 ppm
2022-05-03S9021310.0829 ppm
2022-06-08S9021350.0682 ppm
2022-06-08S9021360.0653 ppm
2022-06-08S9021370.551 ppm
2022-07-05S9021380.846 ppm
2022-07-05S9021390.626 ppm
2022-07-05S9021400.133 ppm
2022-08-02S9021410.0694 ppm
2022-08-02S9021420.155 ppm
2022-08-02S9021430.854 ppm
2022-09-06S9021440.843 ppm
2022-09-06S9021450.0654 ppm
2022-09-06S9021460.125 ppm
2022-10-04S9021470.564 ppm
2022-10-04S9021480.160 ppm
2022-11-01S9021490.172 ppm
2022-11-01S9021500.125 ppm
2022-11-18S12429990.0892 ppm
2022-11-18S12430000.234 ppm
2022-12-06S9021510.0923 ppm
2022-12-06S9021520.593 ppm
2022-12-13S12573930.817 ppm
2023-01-03S3635430.101 ppm
2023-01-03S363546ND
2023-01-03S3635490.785 ppm
2023-02-01S9021530.176 ppm
2023-02-01S902154ND
2023-02-01S9021550.835 ppm
2023-03-07S902158ND
2023-04-04S902159ND
2023-04-04S9021600.431 ppm
2023-04-04S9021610.171 ppm
2023-05-02S902162ND
2023-05-02S9021630.850 ppm
2023-05-02S9021640.438 ppm
2023-06-06S9021650.816 ppm
2023-06-06S902166ND
2023-06-06S902168ND
2023-07-05S902167ND
2023-07-05S902170ND
2023-08-01S902171ND
2023-08-01S9021720.622 ppm
2023-08-01S9021730.219 ppm
2023-09-05S902174ND
2023-09-05S9021750.262 ppm
2023-09-05S9021760.838 ppm
2023-10-16S9021770.806 ppm
2023-10-16S902178ND
2023-10-16S9021790.123 ppm
2023-11-07S9021800.267 ppm
2023-11-07S902181ND
2023-11-07S9021870.321 ppm
2023-11-09S13132800.431 ppm
2023-11-09S13132830.281 ppm
2023-11-09S13132870.203 ppm
2023-12-05S9021820.653 ppm
2023-12-05S9021830.370 ppm
2023-12-05S9021840.789 ppm