Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Kennebec Water District

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.

 

92

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.659 ppm3332ND - 0.920 ppm
20190.729 ppm13130.640 ppm - 0.870 ppm
20200.712 ppm13130.510 ppm - 0.780 ppm
20210.714 ppm13130.640 ppm - 0.740 ppm
20220.701 ppm880.620 ppm - 0.750 ppm
20230.681 ppm12120.420 ppm - 0.800 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
2018-01-02F5-201801020.670 ppm
2018-01-08F5-201801080.690 ppm
2018-01-16F5-201801160.670 ppm
2018-01-22F5-201801220.700 ppm
2018-02-05F5-201802050.710 ppm
2018-02-12F5-201802120.720 ppm
2018-02-21F5-201802210.680 ppm
2018-02-26F5-201802260.690 ppm
2018-03-05F5-201803050.660 ppm
2018-03-12F5-201803120.670 ppm
2018-03-20F5-201803200.670 ppm
2018-03-27F5-201803270.680 ppm
2018-04-03F5-201804030.720 ppm
2018-04-04401800699C0.760 ppm
2018-04-09F5-201804090.710 ppm
2018-04-17F5-201804170.690 ppm
2018-04-23F5-201804230.680 ppm
2018-05-07F5-201805070.690 ppm
2018-05-14F5-201805140.660 ppm
2018-05-21F5-201805210.700 ppm
2018-05-29F5-201805290.700 ppm
2018-06-05F5-201806050.700 ppm
2018-06-12F5-20180612ND
2018-06-19F5-201806190.430 ppm
2018-06-20301805728C0.540 ppm
2018-06-22301805892C0.550 ppm
2018-06-25F5-201806250.480 ppm
2018-07-11301806806C0.740 ppm
2018-08-07301809202C0.820 ppm
2018-09-10301809868C0.600 ppm
2018-10-04301811031C0.720 ppm
2018-11-06301812224C0.730 ppm
2018-12-04301813096C0.920 ppm
2019-01-09301900191C0.700 ppm
2019-02-06301900817C0.870 ppm
2019-03-05301901457C0.680 ppm
2019-04-04301902437C0.750 ppm
2019-05-06301903590C0.750 ppm
2019-05-154019012910.760 ppm
2019-06-07301905152C0.730 ppm
2019-07-11301906830C0.650 ppm
2019-08-07301908240C0.740 ppm
2019-09-17301910203C0.640 ppm
2019-10-03301910954C0.740 ppm
2019-11-07301912293C0.760 ppm
2019-12-05451900109C0.710 ppm
2020-01-02452000001C0.730 ppm
2020-02-05452000109C0.710 ppm
2020-03-04452000229C0.700 ppm
2020-04-07452000313C0.780 ppm
2020-04-164520003470.730 ppm
2020-05-18452000445C0.510 ppm
2020-06-05452000511C0.750 ppm
2020-07-01452000679C0.740 ppm
2020-08-12452000935C0.730 ppm
2020-09-09452001100C0.720 ppm
2020-10-07452001263C0.700 ppm
2020-11-04452001374C0.760 ppm
2020-12-01452001477C0.690 ppm
2021-01-06452100012C0.740 ppm
2021-02-09452100138C0.720 ppm
2021-03-05452100265C0.700 ppm
2021-04-01452100382C0.720 ppm
2021-04-16452100451C0.700 ppm
2021-05-04452100521C0.740 ppm
2021-06-04452100694C0.680 ppm
2021-07-08452100953C0.720 ppm
2021-08-02452101091C0.720 ppm
2021-09-10452101356C0.640 ppm
2021-10-06452101512C0.730 ppm
2021-11-03452101667C0.740 ppm
2021-12-01452101752C0.730 ppm
2022-01-05452200019C0.710 ppm
2022-02-11452200183C0.740 ppm
2022-03-09452200271C0.700 ppm
2022-04-05452200355C0.700 ppm
2022-04-204522004330.620 ppm
2022-05-05452200521C0.700 ppm
2022-06-09452200675C0.690 ppm
2022-07-07452200898C0.750 ppm
2023-02-223023013330.420 ppm
2023-03-144023004160.520 ppm
2023-04-103023026060.770 ppm
2023-05-023023034270.780 ppm
2023-05-15452300743C0.780 ppm
2023-06-07452300922C0.800 ppm
2023-07-103023058220.720 ppm
2023-08-09452301555C0.750 ppm
2023-09-064523017860.540 ppm
2023-10-05452302048C0.670 ppm
2023-11-08452302251C0.690 ppm
2023-12-05452302404C0.730 ppm