Fluoride
Falls City, City of
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.
Testing results - average by year
Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 0.832 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.309 ppm - 0.985 ppm |
2015 | 0.951 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.901 ppm - 1.01 ppm |
2016 | 0.935 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.861 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
2017 | 0.945 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.816 ppm - 1.03 ppm |
2018 | 0.698 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.330 ppm - 0.959 ppm |
2019 | 0.717 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.291 ppm - 1.65 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 |
---|---|---|
2014-01-14 | 280637 | 0.873 ppm |
2014-01-27 | 281663 | 0.309 ppm |
2014-02-11 | 285691 | 0.921 ppm |
2014-03-11 | 289563 | 0.898 ppm |
2014-04-15 | 292995 | 0.899 ppm |
2014-05-13 | 298818 | 0.912 ppm |
2014-06-10 | 304922 | 0.914 ppm |
2014-07-15 | 311338 | 0.936 ppm |
2014-08-12 | 316617 | 0.968 ppm |
2014-09-09 | 322284 | 0.318 ppm |
2014-10-14 | 327199 | 0.949 ppm |
2014-11-12 | 334618 | 0.985 ppm |
2014-12-09 | 338112 | 0.937 ppm |
2015-01-13 | 342132 | 0.934 ppm |
2015-02-10 | 347761 | 0.977 ppm |
2015-03-10 | 350624 | 0.920 ppm |
2015-04-14 | 355509 | 0.901 ppm |
2015-05-12 | 363286 | 0.937 ppm |
2015-06-09 | 367579 | 0.976 ppm |
2015-07-14 | 371854 | 1.01 ppm |
2015-08-11 | 380079 | 0.955 ppm |
2015-09-15 | 385341 | 0.956 ppm |
2015-10-13 | 390352 | 0.919 ppm |
2015-11-09 | 397310 | 0.959 ppm |
2015-12-15 | 401230 | 0.967 ppm |
2016-01-12 | 0.894 ppm | |
2016-02-09 | 0.892 ppm | |
2016-03-15 | 0.959 ppm | |
2016-04-12 | 0.905 ppm | |
2016-05-10 | 0.974 ppm | |
2016-06-14 | 0.898 ppm | |
2016-07-12 | 0.955 ppm | |
2016-08-16 | 0.938 ppm | |
2016-09-20 | 0.861 ppm | |
2016-10-19 | 0.979 ppm | |
2016-11-29 | 1.000 ppm | |
2016-12-20 | 0.962 ppm | |
2017-01-24 | 1.03 ppm | |
2017-02-21 | 0.937 ppm | |
2017-03-21 | 0.972 ppm | |
2017-04-18 | 0.987 ppm | |
2017-05-16 | 0.940 ppm | |
2017-06-19 | 0.929 ppm | |
2017-07-24 | 0.952 ppm | |
2017-08-22 | 1.000 ppm | |
2017-09-19 | 0.934 ppm | |
2017-10-17 | 1.02 ppm | |
2017-11-21 | 0.818 ppm | |
2017-12-19 | 0.816 ppm | |
2018-01-16 | 530278 | 0.893 ppm |
2018-02-21 | 535856 | 0.827 ppm |
2018-03-19 | 539321 | 0.850 ppm |
2018-04-17 | 542649 | 0.828 ppm |
2018-05-22 | 548856 | 0.843 ppm |
2018-06-19 | 554060 | 0.959 ppm |
2018-07-23 | 558733 | 0.900 ppm |
2018-08-21 | 566486 | 0.573 ppm |
2018-09-19 | 570670 | 0.330 ppm |
2018-10-16 | 576622 | 0.349 ppm |
2018-11-19 | 582121 | 0.581 ppm |
2018-12-17 | 585930 | 0.442 ppm |
2019-01-22 | 589365 | 0.386 ppm |
2019-02-19 | 594794 | 0.291 ppm |
2019-03-19 | 598178 | 0.377 ppm |
2019-04-15 | 602061 | 0.746 ppm |
2019-05-21 | 609686 | 0.313 ppm |
2019-06-18 | 613583 | 0.669 ppm |
2019-07-16 | 619666 | 0.297 ppm |
2019-08-19 | 627379 | 1.02 ppm |
2019-09-18 | 631569 | 0.449 ppm |
2019-10-22 | 636857 | 1.65 ppm |
2019-11-19 | 643606 | 1.21 ppm |
2019-12-17 | 648259 | 1.19 ppm |