Fluoride
Fitchburg Utility District 1 South
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 | 0.734 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.531 ppm - 0.948 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.752 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.525 ppm - 0.978 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.645 ppm | 22 | 22 | 0.0840 ppm - 0.840 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.710 ppm | 28 | 28 | 0.500 ppm - 0.980 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.598 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.310 ppm - 0.944 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.543 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.114 ppm - 0.840 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-16 | 362834001 | 0.890 ppm |
| 2018-01-16 | 362834001 | 0.948 ppm |
| 2018-02-13 | 366710001 | 0.641 ppm |
| 2018-02-13 | 366710001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 369287001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 369287001 | 0.675 ppm |
| 2018-04-16 | 376432001 | 0.691 ppm |
| 2018-04-16 | 376432001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2018-05-07 | 380072001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-05-07 | 380072001 | 0.732 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 385758001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 385758001 | 0.803 ppm |
| 2018-07-09 | 392560001 | 0.531 ppm |
| 2018-07-09 | 392560001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 398705001 | 0.825 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 398705001 | 0.910 ppm |
| 2018-09-10 | 406019001 | 0.754 ppm |
| 2018-09-10 | 406019001 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2018-10-15 | 414266001 | 0.708 ppm |
| 2018-10-15 | 414266001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2018-11-12 | 419133001 | 0.596 ppm |
| 2018-11-12 | 419133001 | 0.850 ppm |
| 2018-12-10 | 423203001 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2018-12-10 | 423203001 | 0.653 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 426643001 | 0.655 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 426643001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 430049001 | 0.525 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 430049001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2019-03-12 | 434924001 | 0.691 ppm |
| 2019-03-12 | 434924001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2019-04-18 | 441294001 | 0.648 ppm |
| 2019-04-18 | 441294001 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2019-05-06 | 443765001 | 0.658 ppm |
| 2019-05-06 | 443765001 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 449419001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 449419001 | 0.955 ppm |
| 2019-07-09 | 456215001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2019-07-09 | 456215001 | 0.978 ppm |
| 2019-08-19 | 464363001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-08-19 | 464363001 | 0.752 ppm |
| 2019-09-09 | 468174001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2019-09-09 | 468174001 | 0.733 ppm |
| 2019-10-14 | 476027001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-10-14 | 476027001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-11-18 | 481854001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2019-11-18 | 481854001 | 0.757 ppm |
| 2019-12-09 | 484928001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2019-12-09 | 484928001 | 0.959 ppm |
| 2020-01-06 | 487818001 | 0.663 ppm |
| 2020-01-06 | 487818001 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2020-04-06 | 499459001 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2020-04-06 | 499459001 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2020-05-04 | 502782001 | 0.585 ppm |
| 2020-05-04 | 502782001 | 0.840 ppm |
| 2020-06-09 | 508633001 | 0.636 ppm |
| 2020-06-09 | 508633001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2020-07-14 | 514489001 | 0.659 ppm |
| 2020-07-14 | 514489001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | 1203156 | 0.0840 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | 1203158 | 0.0860 ppm |
| 2020-08-18 | 520489001 | 0.677 ppm |
| 2020-08-18 | 520489001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2020-09-09 | 524330001 | 0.581 ppm |
| 2020-09-09 | 524330001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2020-10-20 | 532085001 | 0.707 ppm |
| 2020-10-20 | 532085001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2020-11-10 | 535378001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2020-11-10 | 535378001 | 0.671 ppm |
| 2020-12-02 | 538399001 | 0.467 ppm |
| 2020-12-02 | 538399001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2021-01-05 | 542204001 | 0.556 ppm |
| 2021-01-05 | 542204001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545499001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545499001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545499001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2021-02-01 | 545499001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2021-03-30 | 553683001 | 0.571 ppm |
| 2021-03-30 | 553683001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-03-30 | 553683001 | 0.571 ppm |
| 2021-03-30 | 553683001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-04-26 | 558149001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2021-04-26 | 558149001 | 0.853 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | 559761001 | 0.579 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | 559761001 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2021-06-03 | 564974001 | 0.712 ppm |
| 2021-06-03 | 564974001 | 0.980 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 570336001 | 0.556 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 570336001 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2021-08-02 | 575485001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2021-08-02 | 575485001 | 0.883 ppm |
| 2021-09-08 | 582238001 | 0.518 ppm |
| 2021-09-08 | 582238001 | 0.910 ppm |
| 2021-10-04 | 587289001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2021-10-04 | 587289001 | 0.879 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | 592597001 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | 592597001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2021-12-01 | 596442001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2021-12-01 | 596442001 | 0.833 ppm |
| 2022-01-03 | 600246001 | 0.320 ppm |
| 2022-01-03 | 600246001 | 0.771 ppm |
| 2022-02-01 | 603864001 | 0.840 ppm |
| 2022-02-01 | 603864001 | 0.944 ppm |
| 2022-03-01 | 607400001 | 0.360 ppm |
| 2022-03-01 | 607400001 | 0.552 ppm |
| 2022-04-04 | 611940001 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2022-04-04 | 611940001 | 0.739 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | 616661001 | 0.310 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | 616661001 | 0.591 ppm |
| 2022-06-06 | 623022001 | 0.480 ppm |
| 2022-06-06 | 623022001 | 0.715 ppm |
| 2022-07-11 | 629546001 | 0.572 ppm |
| 2022-07-11 | 629546001 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2022-08-01 | 634031001 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2022-08-01 | 634031001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2022-09-06 | 640465001 | 0.493 ppm |
| 2022-09-06 | 640465001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2022-10-03 | 646045001 | 0.676 ppm |
| 2022-10-03 | 646045001 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2022-11-01 | 651003001 | 0.465 ppm |
| 2022-11-01 | 651003001 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2022-12-01 | 655201001 | 0.510 ppm |
| 2022-12-01 | 655201001 | 0.626 ppm |
| 2023-01-04 | 659322001 | 0.551 ppm |
| 2023-01-04 | 659322001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2023-02-01 | 662725001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2023-02-01 | 662725001 | 0.735 ppm |
| 2023-03-01 | 666264001 | 0.496 ppm |
| 2023-03-01 | 666264001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-04-03 | 670879001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2023-04-03 | 670879001 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2023-05-01 | 675716001 | 0.240 ppm |
| 2023-05-01 | 675716001 | 0.518 ppm |
| 2023-06-01 | 681323001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2023-06-01 | 681323001 | 0.712 ppm |
| 2023-07-05 | 686702001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2023-07-05 | 686702001 | 0.452 ppm |
| 2023-07-19 | CB08243-02 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2023-07-19 | CB08243-05 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2023-08-01 | 692090001 | 0.765 ppm |
| 2023-08-01 | 692090001 | 0.840 ppm |
| 2023-09-05 | 698175001 | 0.114 ppm |
| 2023-09-05 | 698175001 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2023-10-02 | 703663001 | 0.574 ppm |
| 2023-10-02 | 703663001 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2023-11-01 | 708754001 | 0.375 ppm |
| 2023-11-01 | 708754001 | 0.460 ppm |
| 2023-12-04 | 712874001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2023-12-04 | 712874001 | 0.620 ppm |