Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Dickeyville 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.

 

144

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.874 ppm24240.490 ppm - 1.52 ppm
20190.830 ppm24240.583 ppm - 1.000 ppm
20200.805 ppm20200.523 ppm - 1.12 ppm
20210.776 ppm28280.566 ppm - 0.950 ppm
20220.744 ppm24240.230 ppm - 0.870 ppm
20230.772 ppm24240.650 ppm - 0.920 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
2018-01-083619670010.545 ppm
2018-01-083619670010.630 ppm
2018-02-123666830010.576 ppm
2018-02-123666830010.720 ppm
2018-03-073702050011.24 ppm
2018-03-073702050011.38 ppm
2018-04-093753920010.623 ppm
2018-04-093753920010.670 ppm
2018-05-153827340011.02 ppm
2018-05-153827340011.17 ppm
2018-06-043861480010.690 ppm
2018-06-043861480010.790 ppm
2018-07-093930330010.926 ppm
2018-07-093930330011.01 ppm
2018-08-144012330011.39 ppm
2018-08-144012330011.52 ppm
2018-09-104066280010.731 ppm
2018-09-104066280010.820 ppm
2018-10-044126890010.813 ppm
2018-10-044126890010.880 ppm
2018-11-054181250010.490 ppm
2018-11-054181250010.563 ppm
2018-12-034223280010.824 ppm
2018-12-034223280010.960 ppm
2019-01-024259580010.981 ppm
2019-01-024259580010.990 ppm
2019-02-194323300010.843 ppm
2019-02-194323300010.870 ppm
2019-03-064342330010.852 ppm
2019-03-064342330010.930 ppm
2019-04-104400340010.583 ppm
2019-04-104400340010.590 ppm
2019-05-064443790010.903 ppm
2019-05-064443790011.000 ppm
2019-06-034494280010.691 ppm
2019-06-034494280010.780 ppm
2019-07-084562400010.778 ppm
2019-07-084562400010.880 ppm
2019-08-074624460010.690 ppm
2019-08-074624460010.715 ppm
2019-09-044678490010.696 ppm
2019-09-044678490010.950 ppm
2019-10-024743060010.811 ppm
2019-10-024743060010.820 ppm
2019-11-054800350010.846 ppm
2019-11-054800350010.980 ppm
2019-12-024839090010.831 ppm
2019-12-024839090010.910 ppm
2020-01-074884450010.860 ppm
2020-01-074884450010.861 ppm
2020-04-075002040010.709 ppm
2020-04-075002040010.800 ppm
2020-05-065036630010.800 ppm
2020-05-065036630010.859 ppm
2020-06-025078080010.842 ppm
2020-06-025078080011.04 ppm
2020-07-015125590010.619 ppm
2020-07-015125590010.710 ppm
2020-08-045183320010.654 ppm
2020-08-045183320010.770 ppm
2020-09-025234330010.791 ppm
2020-09-025234330010.950 ppm
2020-10-055295020010.806 ppm
2020-10-055295020010.820 ppm
2020-11-025342980011.000 ppm
2020-11-025342980011.12 ppm
2020-12-015383400010.523 ppm
2020-12-015383400010.570 ppm
2021-01-045421210010.566 ppm
2021-01-045421210010.700 ppm
2021-02-015458680010.690 ppm
2021-02-015458680010.770 ppm
2021-02-015458680010.690 ppm
2021-02-015458680010.770 ppm
2021-03-025498940010.815 ppm
2021-03-025498940010.880 ppm
2021-03-025498940010.815 ppm
2021-03-025498940010.880 ppm
2021-04-055546070010.786 ppm
2021-04-055546070010.950 ppm
2021-05-035597620010.760 ppm
2021-05-035597620010.820 ppm
2021-06-015646120010.737 ppm
2021-06-015646120010.870 ppm
2021-07-065708170010.727 ppm
2021-07-065708170010.760 ppm
2021-08-025758200010.704 ppm
2021-08-025758200010.820 ppm
2021-09-075822290010.750 ppm
2021-09-075822290010.870 ppm
2021-10-045877390010.673 ppm
2021-10-045877390010.720 ppm
2021-11-025928650010.665 ppm
2021-11-025928650010.790 ppm
2021-12-065972110010.811 ppm
2021-12-065972110010.940 ppm
2022-01-116017230010.747 ppm
2022-01-116017230010.830 ppm
2022-02-016041750010.721 ppm
2022-02-016041750010.750 ppm
2022-03-016076900010.757 ppm
2022-03-016076900010.810 ppm
2022-04-116139370010.230 ppm
2022-04-116139370010.702 ppm
2022-05-026171120010.700 ppm
2022-05-026171120010.732 ppm
2022-06-066235440010.743 ppm
2022-06-066235440010.800 ppm
2022-07-056286720010.683 ppm
2022-07-056286720010.780 ppm
2022-08-016343180010.754 ppm
2022-08-016343180010.870 ppm
2022-09-066410040010.736 ppm
2022-09-066410040010.850 ppm
2022-10-176490010010.726 ppm
2022-10-176490010010.740 ppm
2022-11-026515800010.734 ppm
2022-11-026515800010.860 ppm
2022-12-056556960010.740 ppm
2022-12-056556960010.870 ppm
2023-01-036592380010.736 ppm
2023-01-036592380010.770 ppm
2023-02-076637540010.706 ppm
2023-02-076637540010.770 ppm
2023-03-016664600010.729 ppm
2023-03-016664600010.760 ppm
2023-04-036716160010.746 ppm
2023-04-036716160010.870 ppm
2023-05-016760390010.740 ppm
2023-05-016760390010.810 ppm
2023-06-066824650010.688 ppm
2023-06-066824650010.720 ppm
2023-07-116884390010.720 ppm
2023-07-116884390010.729 ppm
2023-08-086938420010.650 ppm
2023-08-086938420010.734 ppm
2023-09-126999850010.743 ppm
2023-09-126999850010.840 ppm
2023-10-187071690010.748 ppm
2023-10-187071690010.760 ppm
2023-11-067099110010.880 ppm
2023-11-067099110010.898 ppm
2023-12-057135320010.863 ppm
2023-12-057135320010.920 ppm