Fluoride

Big Bend Water District

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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126

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	0.322 ppm	12	12	0.310 ppm - 0.340 ppm
2015	0.346 ppm	12	12	0.340 ppm - 0.360 ppm
2016	0.338 ppm	37	37	0.315 ppm - 0.360 ppm
2017	0.320 ppm	40	40	0.280 ppm - 0.363 ppm
2018	0.333 ppm	12	12	0.299 ppm - 0.356 ppm
2019	0.338 ppm	13	13	0.318 ppm - 0.353 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	14010204-001	0.320 ppm
2014-02-11	14020148-001	0.310 ppm
2014-03-11	14030144-001	0.310 ppm
2014-04-08	14040111-001	0.310 ppm
2014-05-06	14050090-001	0.330 ppm
2014-06-03	14060028-001	0.330 ppm
2014-07-01	14060585-001	0.320 ppm
2014-08-12	14080162-001	0.320 ppm
2014-09-09	14090126-001	0.320 ppm
2014-10-07	14100106-001	0.310 ppm
2014-11-04	14110045-001	0.340 ppm
2014-12-02	14120020-001	0.340 ppm
2015-01-13	15010168-001	0.340 ppm
2015-02-10	15020136-001	0.340 ppm
2015-03-10	15030084-001	0.350 ppm
2015-04-07	15040094-001	0.340 ppm
2015-05-05	15050015-001	0.350 ppm
2015-06-02	15060011-001	0.340 ppm
2015-07-14	15070255-001	0.350 ppm
2015-08-11	15080178-001	0.360 ppm
2015-09-08	15090039-001	0.340 ppm
2015-10-06	15100055-001	0.340 ppm
2015-11-03	15110018-001	0.350 ppm
2015-12-01	15110479-001	0.350 ppm
2016-01-12	16010138-001	0.360 ppm
2016-02-09	16020146-001	0.340 ppm
2016-03-08	16030106-001	0.330 ppm
2016-04-05	16040060-001	0.340 ppm
2016-05-03	S1600958002	0.321 ppm
2016-05-03	S1601559001	0.324 ppm
2016-05-03	S1600958001	0.315 ppm
2016-05-03	16050005-001	0.330 ppm
2016-05-17	S1600818001	0.327 ppm
2016-05-31	S1601561001	0.344 ppm
2016-06-14	S1601560001	0.338 ppm
2016-06-14	S1601574001	0.341 ppm
2016-06-28	S1601634001	0.342 ppm
2016-07-12	S1602352002	0.330 ppm
2016-07-12	S1602358001	0.325 ppm
2016-07-12	S1602352001	0.343 ppm
2016-08-09	S1602893001	0.343 ppm
2016-08-09	S1603178002	0.341 ppm
2016-08-09	S1603178001	0.338 ppm
2016-08-23	S1603022001	0.349 ppm
2016-09-06	S1604010001	0.334 ppm
2016-09-06	S1604066002	0.336 ppm
2016-09-06	S1604066001	0.326 ppm
2016-09-20	S1604009001	0.359 ppm
2016-10-04	S1604673001	0.329 ppm
2016-10-04	S1604718002	0.330 ppm
2016-10-04	S1604718001	0.325 ppm
2016-10-17	S1604672001	0.327 ppm
2016-11-01	S1605280001	0.356 ppm
2016-11-01	S1605343002	0.356 ppm
2016-11-01	S1605343001	0.336 ppm
2016-11-15	S1605279001	0.356 ppm
2016-11-29	S1605936001	0.330 ppm
2016-12-13	S1606023002	0.350 ppm
2016-12-13	S1606299001	0.349 ppm
2016-12-13	S1606023001	0.341 ppm
2016-12-27	S1606144001	0.335 ppm
2017-01-10	S1606677002	0.331 ppm
2017-01-10	S1606850001	0.330 ppm
2017-01-10	S166677001	0.304 ppm
2017-01-10	S1606677001	0.339 ppm
2017-01-23	S1606679001	0.324 ppm
2017-02-07	S1700141002	0.329 ppm
2017-02-07	S1700758001	0.326 ppm
2017-02-07	S1700141001	0.332 ppm
2017-02-21	S1700757001	0.321 ppm
2017-03-07	S1701070001	0.319 ppm
2017-03-07	S1701096001	0.330 ppm
2017-03-21	S1701329001	0.324 ppm
2017-04-04	S1701671001	0.331 ppm
2017-04-04	S1701670001	0.332 ppm
2017-04-18	S1701885001	0.316 ppm
2017-05-03	S1703066001	0.308 ppm
2017-05-03	S1703013001	0.330 ppm
2017-05-16	S1703464001	0.334 ppm
2017-05-30	S1703072001	0.301 ppm
2017-06-13	S1703762001	0.303 ppm
2017-06-13	S1703071001	0.360 ppm
2017-06-27	S1703483001	0.298 ppm
2017-07-11	S1704153001	0.298 ppm
2017-07-11	S1704152001	0.363 ppm
2017-07-25	S1704249001	0.330 ppm
2017-08-07	S1704770001	0.310 ppm
2017-08-07	S1704746001	0.323 ppm
2017-08-22	S1704918001	0.298 ppm
2017-09-06	S1705621001	0.300 ppm
2017-09-06	S1705572001	0.333 ppm
2017-09-19	S1705892001	0.280 ppm
2017-10-03	S1707051001	0.297 ppm
2017-10-03	S1706323001	0.345 ppm
2017-10-17	S1707412001	0.296 ppm
2017-11-01	S1706394001	0.311 ppm
2017-11-01	S1707072001	0.349 ppm
2017-11-14	S1707438001	0.297 ppm
2017-12-12	S1707757001	0.305 ppm
2017-12-12	S1707755001	0.334 ppm
2017-12-26	S1709011001	0.290 ppm
2018-01-09	S1800399001	0.327 ppm
2018-02-06	S1800457001	0.339 ppm
2018-03-05	S1801599001	0.344 ppm
2018-04-10	S1801596001	0.299 ppm
2018-05-01	S1802946001	0.331 ppm
2018-06-12	S1802972001	0.320 ppm
2018-07-19	S1803665001	0.324 ppm
2018-08-16	S1804478001	0.356 ppm
2018-09-13	S1805303001	0.327 ppm
2018-10-11	S1806073001	0.338 ppm
2018-11-06	S1806871001	0.345 ppm
2018-12-06	S1807814001	0.344 ppm
2019-01-22	S1809973001	0.335 ppm
2019-01-29	S1808795001	0.352 ppm
2019-02-26	S1809700001	0.353 ppm
2019-03-26	S1900139001	0.351 ppm
2019-04-11	S1904699001	0.344 ppm
2019-05-08	S1907967001	0.318 ppm
2019-06-05	S1912657001	0.319 ppm
2019-07-31	S1921465001	0.327 ppm
2019-08-28	S1925181001	0.350 ppm
2019-09-26	S1938469001	0.332 ppm
2019-10-15	S1949831001	0.321 ppm
2019-11-18	S1957933001	0.341 ppm
2019-12-17	S1968638001	0.349 ppm