Fluoride
Poynette Waterworks
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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.909 ppm | 28 | 28 | 0.600 ppm - 5.26 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.670 ppm | 28 | 28 | 0.431 ppm - 1.31 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.906 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.190 ppm - 1.15 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.778 ppm | 35 | 35 | 0.0854 ppm - 1.09 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.786 ppm | 28 | 28 | 0.0888 ppm - 1.03 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.718 ppm | 30 | 30 | 0.0832 ppm - 1.26 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-08 | 361458001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-01-08 | 361458001 | 0.788 ppm |
| 2018-02-05 | 365609001 | 0.617 ppm |
| 2018-02-05 | 365609001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-02-21 | 367927001 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 369644001 | 0.674 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 369644001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 374166001 | 0.623 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 374166001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-05-08 | 381022001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-05-08 | 381022001 | 0.794 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 386166001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 386166001 | 0.841 ppm |
| 2018-06-18 | 389015001 | 0.857 ppm |
| 2018-07-05 | 392310001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2018-07-05 | 392310001 | 0.851 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 399170001 | 0.721 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 399170001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2018-09-05 | 405652001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2018-09-05 | 405652001 | 0.799 ppm |
| 2018-09-12 | 407105001 | 5.26 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | 415022001 | 0.797 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | 415022001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-11-13 | 419374001 | 0.722 ppm |
| 2018-11-13 | 419374001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2018-12-13 | 424274001 | 0.862 ppm |
| 2018-12-17 | 424474001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-12-17 | 424474001 | 0.626 ppm |
| 2019-01-24 | 429115001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2019-01-24 | 429115001 | 0.601 ppm |
| 2019-02-19 | 432331001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-02-19 | 432331001 | 0.618 ppm |
| 2019-03-11 | 434872001 | 0.476 ppm |
| 2019-03-11 | 434872001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2019-03-19 | 435923001 | 0.519 ppm |
| 2019-04-10 | 440059001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-04-10 | 440059001 | 0.603 ppm |
| 2019-05-08 | 445117001 | 0.545 ppm |
| 2019-05-08 | 445117001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-06-18 | 453110001 | 0.614 ppm |
| 2019-06-18 | 453110001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-06-24 | 453405001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2019-07-29 | 459975001 | 0.431 ppm |
| 2019-07-29 | 459975001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-08-26 | 466057001 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2019-08-26 | 466057001 | 0.605 ppm |
| 2019-09-19 | 471364001 | 0.537 ppm |
| 2019-09-19 | 471268001 | 0.609 ppm |
| 2019-09-19 | 471364001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-10-07 | 475072001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2019-10-07 | 475072001 | 0.970 ppm |
| 2019-11-05 | 480029001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-11-05 | 480029001 | 0.992 ppm |
| 2019-12-03 | 484340001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-12-03 | 484340001 | 0.990 ppm |
| 2019-12-09 | 484854001 | 1.31 ppm |
| 2020-01-06 | 488073001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2020-01-06 | 488073001 | 0.902 ppm |
| 2020-04-06 | 499405001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2020-04-06 | 499405001 | 1.01 ppm |
| 2020-05-04 | 502717001 | 0.970 ppm |
| 2020-05-04 | 502717001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2020-06-02 | 507401001 | 0.910 ppm |
| 2020-06-02 | 507401001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2020-06-08 | 508196001 | 0.268 ppm |
| 2020-07-08 | 513494001 | 0.957 ppm |
| 2020-07-08 | 513494001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2020-08-03 | 517536001 | 0.190 ppm |
| 2020-08-03 | 517536001 | 0.921 ppm |
| 2020-09-09 | 524272001 | 0.991 ppm |
| 2020-09-09 | 524272001 | 1.10 ppm |
| 2020-09-09 | 524192001 | 1.15 ppm |
| 2020-09-21 | 526512001 | 0.795 ppm |
| 2020-09-21 | 526514001 | 1.12 ppm |
| 2020-10-13 | 530653001 | 0.936 ppm |
| 2020-10-13 | 530653001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2020-11-02 | 533855001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2020-11-02 | 533855001 | 1.05 ppm |
| 2020-12-02 | 538087001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2020-12-02 | 538087001 | 0.970 ppm |
| 2021-01-04 | 541774001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-01-04 | 541774001 | 0.945 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545459001 | 0.915 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545459001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545459001 | 0.915 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545459001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2021-02-16 | 547650001 | 1.04 ppm |
| 2021-02-16 | 547650001 | 1.04 ppm |
| 2021-02-17 | 547952001 | 0.0877 ppm |
| 2021-02-17 | 547952001 | 0.0877 ppm |
| 2021-03-01 | 549103001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-03-01 | 549103001 | 0.886 ppm |
| 2021-03-01 | 549103001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-03-01 | 549103001 | 0.886 ppm |
| 2021-04-05 | 554142001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-04-05 | 554142001 | 0.875 ppm |
| 2021-04-19 | 556953001 | 0.0854 ppm |
| 2021-05-03 | 559187001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-05-03 | 559187001 | 0.838 ppm |
| 2021-06-01 | 564214001 | 0.841 ppm |
| 2021-06-01 | 564214001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 570222001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 570222001 | 0.948 ppm |
| 2021-08-09 | 576744001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-08-09 | 576744001 | 0.951 ppm |
| 2021-09-14 | 583220001 | 0.265 ppm |
| 2021-09-14 | 583336001 | 0.889 ppm |
| 2021-09-14 | 583336001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2021-10-04 | 587233001 | 0.930 ppm |
| 2021-10-04 | 587233001 | 1.09 ppm |
| 2021-11-03 | 592857001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2021-11-03 | 592857001 | 0.883 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | 593684001 | 0.0871 ppm |
| 2021-12-01 | 596394001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-12-01 | 596394001 | 0.893 ppm |
| 2022-01-03 | 600223001 | 0.942 ppm |
| 2022-01-03 | 600223001 | 0.960 ppm |
| 2022-02-02 | 604174001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2022-02-02 | 604174001 | 0.882 ppm |
| 2022-03-01 | 607362001 | 0.850 ppm |
| 2022-03-01 | 607362001 | 0.959 ppm |
| 2022-03-09 | 608881001 | 0.117 ppm |
| 2022-04-04 | 611869001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2022-04-04 | 611869001 | 0.995 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | 616631001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | 616631001 | 0.975 ppm |
| 2022-06-01 | 622373001 | 0.109 ppm |
| 2022-06-01 | 622300001 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2022-06-01 | 622300001 | 0.955 ppm |
| 2022-07-06 | 628766001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2022-07-06 | 628766001 | 0.988 ppm |
| 2022-08-10 | 636103001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2022-08-10 | 636103001 | 1.03 ppm |
| 2022-09-07 | 640986001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2022-09-07 | 640849001 | 0.745 ppm |
| 2022-09-07 | 640986001 | 0.965 ppm |
| 2022-10-03 | 645983001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2022-10-03 | 645983001 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2022-11-02 | 651354001 | 0.0888 ppm |
| 2022-11-02 | 651355001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2022-11-02 | 651355001 | 0.953 ppm |
| 2022-12-07 | 656117001 | 0.830 ppm |
| 2022-12-07 | 656117001 | 0.968 ppm |
| 2023-01-04 | 659211001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2023-01-04 | 659211001 | 0.745 ppm |
| 2023-02-06 | 663117001 | 1.26 ppm |
| 2023-02-13 | 664154001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-02-13 | 664154001 | 0.931 ppm |
| 2023-03-14 | 668074001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-03-14 | 668074001 | 0.982 ppm |
| 2023-04-10 | 672009001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-04-10 | 672009001 | 0.927 ppm |
| 2023-05-08 | 677016001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-05-08 | 677016001 | 0.888 ppm |
| 2023-05-11 | 678245001 | 0.0832 ppm |
| 2023-05-11 | 678244001 | 0.797 ppm |
| 2023-06-05 | 681716001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-06-05 | 681716001 | 0.965 ppm |
| 2023-07-10 | 687405001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-07-10 | 687405001 | 1.11 ppm |
| 2023-08-14 | 694537001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2023-08-14 | 694537001 | 1.09 ppm |
| 2023-08-22 | 696226001 | 0.136 ppm |
| 2023-08-28 | 697148001 | 0.111 ppm |
| 2023-09-06 | 698594001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2023-09-06 | 698594001 | 1.24 ppm |
| 2023-10-09 | 704967001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2023-10-09 | 704967001 | 1.18 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | 710398001 | 0.240 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | 710415001 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | 710415001 | 1.24 ppm |
| 2023-12-04 | 712764001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2023-12-04 | 712764001 | 1.20 ppm |