Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Shullsburg 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.

 

146

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.719 ppm24240.566 ppm - 0.840 ppm
20190.747 ppm24240.618 ppm - 0.911 ppm
20200.709 ppm20200.580 ppm - 0.803 ppm
20210.731 ppm28280.635 ppm - 0.884 ppm
20220.732 ppm24240.647 ppm - 0.833 ppm
20230.762 ppm26260.592 ppm - 1.37 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
2018-01-083619700010.710 ppm
2018-01-083619700010.717 ppm
2018-02-063658940010.566 ppm
2018-02-063658940010.690 ppm
2018-03-053696450010.570 ppm
2018-03-053696450010.620 ppm
2018-04-023741360010.696 ppm
2018-04-023741360010.737 ppm
2018-05-013794250010.666 ppm
2018-05-013794250010.680 ppm
2018-06-123883870010.742 ppm
2018-06-123883870010.759 ppm
2018-07-103936080010.740 ppm
2018-07-103936080010.793 ppm
2018-08-063991740010.738 ppm
2018-08-063991740010.760 ppm
2018-09-044051230010.710 ppm
2018-09-044051230010.747 ppm
2018-10-034125050010.713 ppm
2018-10-034125050010.736 ppm
2018-11-214209230010.785 ppm
2018-11-214209230010.840 ppm
2018-12-034223770010.767 ppm
2018-12-034223770010.772 ppm
2019-01-084270680010.780 ppm
2019-01-084270680010.842 ppm
2019-02-074306140010.737 ppm
2019-02-074306140010.772 ppm
2019-03-134354110010.716 ppm
2019-03-134354110010.722 ppm
2019-04-084394420010.713 ppm
2019-04-084394420010.714 ppm
2019-05-144462590010.722 ppm
2019-05-144462590010.826 ppm
2019-06-044500060010.735 ppm
2019-06-044500060010.792 ppm
2019-07-184585290010.632 ppm
2019-07-184585290010.770 ppm
2019-08-054617330010.618 ppm
2019-08-054617330010.766 ppm
2019-09-244725350010.622 ppm
2019-09-244725350010.700 ppm
2019-10-214774950010.780 ppm
2019-10-214774950010.911 ppm
2019-11-064803160010.725 ppm
2019-11-064803160010.864 ppm
2019-12-104856100010.715 ppm
2019-12-104856100010.745 ppm
2020-01-064880890010.717 ppm
2020-01-064880890010.717 ppm
2020-04-064997320010.679 ppm
2020-04-064997320010.743 ppm
2020-05-125045650010.708 ppm
2020-05-125045650010.726 ppm
2020-06-165102430010.605 ppm
2020-06-165102430010.789 ppm
2020-07-135144850010.628 ppm
2020-07-135144850010.759 ppm
2020-08-035179970010.776 ppm
2020-08-035179970010.803 ppm
2020-09-085240050010.610 ppm
2020-09-085240050010.793 ppm
2020-10-265331680010.580 ppm
2020-10-265331680010.650 ppm
2020-11-195371520010.690 ppm
2020-11-195371520010.718 ppm
2020-12-075391780010.718 ppm
2020-12-075391780010.768 ppm
2021-01-055426080010.785 ppm
2021-01-055426080010.884 ppm
2021-02-015458850010.743 ppm
2021-02-015458850010.804 ppm
2021-02-015458850010.743 ppm
2021-02-015458850010.804 ppm
2021-03-295536860010.659 ppm
2021-03-295536860010.723 ppm
2021-03-295536860010.659 ppm
2021-03-295536860010.723 ppm
2021-04-195572730010.765 ppm
2021-04-195572730010.813 ppm
2021-05-185626480010.679 ppm
2021-05-185626480010.727 ppm
2021-06-215682770010.635 ppm
2021-06-215682770010.722 ppm
2021-07-065704210010.729 ppm
2021-07-065704210010.739 ppm
2021-08-035762760010.698 ppm
2021-08-035762760010.744 ppm
2021-09-075822110010.742 ppm
2021-09-075822110010.778 ppm
2021-10-125894380010.688 ppm
2021-10-125894380010.731 ppm
2021-11-225957160010.643 ppm
2021-11-225957160010.716 ppm
2021-12-135983780010.669 ppm
2021-12-135983780010.736 ppm
2022-01-186025290010.742 ppm
2022-01-186025290010.833 ppm
2022-02-226067420010.712 ppm
2022-02-226067420010.775 ppm
2022-03-236109990010.740 ppm
2022-03-236109990010.776 ppm
2022-04-196150490010.725 ppm
2022-04-196150490010.730 ppm
2022-05-246215580010.710 ppm
2022-05-246215580010.794 ppm
2022-06-136248200010.740 ppm
2022-06-136248200010.769 ppm
2022-07-186314870010.691 ppm
2022-07-186314870010.770 ppm
2022-08-166375380010.720 ppm
2022-08-166375380010.725 ppm
2022-09-266448560010.686 ppm
2022-09-266448560010.730 ppm
2022-10-046467240010.685 ppm
2022-10-046467240010.780 ppm
2022-11-156535890010.647 ppm
2022-11-156535890010.700 ppm
2022-12-066560190010.667 ppm
2022-12-066560190010.710 ppm
2023-01-036592150010.631 ppm
2023-01-036592150010.730 ppm
2023-02-236657930010.602 ppm
2023-02-236657930010.690 ppm
2023-03-066669500010.592 ppm
2023-03-066669500010.720 ppm
2023-04-126729790010.750 ppm
2023-04-126729790010.780 ppm
2023-05-016760430010.764 ppm
2023-05-016760430010.780 ppm
2023-05-0923E0327-010.820 ppm
2023-05-0923E0327-021.37 ppm
2023-06-136836830010.761 ppm
2023-06-136836830010.770 ppm
2023-07-106877050010.750 ppm
2023-07-106877050010.782 ppm
2023-08-146948950010.770 ppm
2023-08-146948950010.802 ppm
2023-09-217020790010.697 ppm
2023-09-217020790010.740 ppm
2023-10-027039680010.740 ppm
2023-10-027039680010.788 ppm
2023-11-067094560010.710 ppm
2023-11-067094560010.770 ppm
2023-12-057135260010.730 ppm
2023-12-057135260010.766 ppm