Fluoride
Milwaukee Waterworks
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.
164
Samples
0
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
0
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2014 | 0.475 ppm | 36 | 34 | ND - 0.610 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.430 ppm | 30 | 30 | 0.1000 ppm - 0.607 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.443 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.0860 ppm - 0.588 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.535 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.480 ppm - 0.619 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.517 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.480 ppm - 0.563 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.521 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.464 ppm - 0.555 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-02 | 114790001 | 0.449 ppm |
| 2014-01-02 | 114790001 | 0.453 ppm |
| 2014-02-06 | 118891001 | 0.560 ppm |
| 2014-02-06 | 118891001 | 0.561 ppm |
| 2014-03-06 | 122282001 | 0.555 ppm |
| 2014-03-06 | 122282001 | 0.563 ppm |
| 2014-04-03 | 126129001 | 0.543 ppm |
| 2014-04-03 | 126129001 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2014-05-01 | 130115001 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2014-05-01 | 130115001 | 0.549 ppm |
| 2014-06-05 | 137494001 | 0.515 ppm |
| 2014-06-05 | 137494001 | 0.559 ppm |
| 2014-07-10 | 144718001 | 0.528 ppm |
| 2014-07-10 | 144718001 | 0.551 ppm |
| 2014-08-07 | 150229001 | 0.533 ppm |
| 2014-08-07 | 150229001 | 0.574 ppm |
| 2014-08-18 | 3085051-52,59,66 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2014-08-18 | 3085066 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2014-08-19 | 3086090 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-08-19 | 3086075-76,83,90 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088714 | ND |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088699-700,07,1 | ND |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088612-13,20,27 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088627 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088671-72,79,86 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088686 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088584 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-08-21 | 3088569-70,76,84 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-09-04 | 155213001 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2014-09-04 | 155213001 | 0.563 ppm |
| 2014-10-02 | 161445001 | 0.533 ppm |
| 2014-10-02 | 161445001 | 0.571 ppm |
| 2014-11-06 | 167587001 | 0.564 ppm |
| 2014-11-06 | 167587001 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2014-12-04 | 171324001 | 0.547 ppm |
| 2014-12-04 | 171324001 | 0.555 ppm |
| 2015-01-08 | 175309001 | 0.477 ppm |
| 2015-01-08 | 175309001 | 0.519 ppm |
| 2015-02-05 | 178939001 | 0.110 ppm |
| 2015-02-05 | 178939001 | 0.115 ppm |
| 2015-03-05 | 182304001 | 0.110 ppm |
| 2015-03-05 | 182304001 | 0.110 ppm |
| 2015-04-02 | 186891001 | 0.101 ppm |
| 2015-04-02 | 186891001 | 0.110 ppm |
| 2015-05-07 | 192249001 | 0.506 ppm |
| 2015-05-07 | 192249001 | 0.546 ppm |
| 2015-06-04 | 198118001 | 0.552 ppm |
| 2015-06-04 | 198118001 | 0.585 ppm |
| 2015-07-02 | 204250001 | 0.564 ppm |
| 2015-07-02 | 204250001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-08-06 | 210447001 | 0.569 ppm |
| 2015-08-06 | 210447001 | 0.607 ppm |
| 2015-08-17 | 3302467-68,75,82 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2015-08-17 | 3302542-43,50,57 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2015-08-17 | 3302508-09,16,23 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-08-17 | 3302433-34,41,48 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-08-18 | 3303577-78,87,97 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-08-19 | 3304960,63,72,75 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-09-03 | 215665001 | 0.563 ppm |
| 2015-09-03 | 215665001 | 0.568 ppm |
| 2015-10-01 | 221375001 | 0.558 ppm |
| 2015-10-01 | 221375001 | 0.582 ppm |
| 2015-11-05 | 227457001 | 0.564 ppm |
| 2015-11-05 | 227457001 | 0.567 ppm |
| 2015-12-03 | 231107001 | 0.553 ppm |
| 2015-12-03 | 231107001 | 0.555 ppm |
| 2016-01-07 | 235719001 | 0.537 ppm |
| 2016-01-07 | 235719001 | 0.573 ppm |
| 2016-02-04 | 238881001 | 0.123 ppm |
| 2016-02-04 | 238881001 | 0.127 ppm |
| 2016-03-03 | 243545001 | 0.0860 ppm |
| 2016-03-03 | 243545001 | 0.124 ppm |
| 2016-04-07 | 248133001 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2016-04-07 | 248133001 | 0.112 ppm |
| 2016-05-05 | 252866001 | 0.521 ppm |
| 2016-05-05 | 252866001 | 0.564 ppm |
| 2016-06-02 | 258569001 | 0.538 ppm |
| 2016-06-02 | 258569001 | 0.549 ppm |
| 2016-07-07 | 265260001 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2016-07-07 | 265260001 | 0.578 ppm |
| 2016-08-04 | 271397001 | 0.537 ppm |
| 2016-08-04 | 271397001 | 0.564 ppm |
| 2016-09-01 | 275984001 | 0.525 ppm |
| 2016-09-01 | 275984001 | 0.533 ppm |
| 2016-10-06 | 283952001 | 0.568 ppm |
| 2016-10-06 | 283952001 | 0.588 ppm |
| 2016-11-03 | 287404001 | 0.543 ppm |
| 2016-11-03 | 287404001 | 0.568 ppm |
| 2016-12-01 | 291853001 | 0.562 ppm |
| 2016-12-01 | 291853001 | 0.566 ppm |
| 2017-01-05 | 295239001 | 0.542 ppm |
| 2017-01-05 | 295239001 | 0.562 ppm |
| 2017-02-02 | 299272001 | 0.522 ppm |
| 2017-02-02 | 299272001 | 0.594 ppm |
| 2017-03-02 | 302931001 | 0.513 ppm |
| 2017-03-02 | 302931001 | 0.528 ppm |
| 2017-04-06 | 309450001 | 0.535 ppm |
| 2017-04-06 | 309450001 | 0.589 ppm |
| 2017-05-04 | 314951001 | 0.533 ppm |
| 2017-05-04 | 314951001 | 0.559 ppm |
| 2017-06-01 | 320274001 | 0.536 ppm |
| 2017-06-01 | 320274001 | 0.537 ppm |
| 2017-07-06 | 327943001 | 0.503 ppm |
| 2017-07-06 | 327943001 | 0.523 ppm |
| 2017-08-03 | 334528001 | 0.543 ppm |
| 2017-08-03 | 334528001 | 0.619 ppm |
| 2017-08-21 | 3762066-67,77 | 0.480 ppm |
| 2017-08-21 | 3762284-85,95 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2017-09-07 | 342438001 | 0.511 ppm |
| 2017-09-07 | 342438001 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2017-10-05 | 348544001 | 0.527 ppm |
| 2017-10-05 | 348544001 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2017-11-02 | 353284001 | 0.511 ppm |
| 2017-11-02 | 353284001 | 0.532 ppm |
| 2017-12-07 | 358890001 | 0.526 ppm |
| 2017-12-07 | 358890001 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2018-01-04 | 362338001 | 0.504 ppm |
| 2018-01-04 | 362338001 | 0.518 ppm |
| 2018-02-01 | 365883001 | 0.480 ppm |
| 2018-02-01 | 365883001 | 0.541 ppm |
| 2018-03-01 | 369787001 | 0.489 ppm |
| 2018-03-01 | 369787001 | 0.549 ppm |
| 2018-04-05 | 374872001 | 0.488 ppm |
| 2018-04-05 | 374872001 | 0.542 ppm |
| 2018-05-03 | 381002001 | 0.556 ppm |
| 2018-05-03 | 381002001 | 0.563 ppm |
| 2018-06-07 | 387958001 | 0.516 ppm |
| 2018-06-07 | 387958001 | 0.532 ppm |
| 2018-07-05 | 393607001 | 0.523 ppm |
| 2018-07-05 | 393607001 | 0.524 ppm |
| 2018-08-02 | 399600001 | 0.499 ppm |
| 2018-08-02 | 399600001 | 0.508 ppm |
| 2018-09-06 | 407077001 | 0.497 ppm |
| 2018-09-06 | 407077001 | 0.526 ppm |
| 2018-10-04 | 414044001 | 0.499 ppm |
| 2018-10-04 | 414044001 | 0.521 ppm |
| 2018-11-01 | 418584001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2018-11-01 | 418584001 | 0.537 ppm |
| 2018-12-06 | 423610001 | 0.489 ppm |
| 2018-12-06 | 423610001 | 0.506 ppm |
| 2019-01-03 | 427062001 | 0.494 ppm |
| 2019-01-03 | 427062001 | 0.511 ppm |
| 2019-02-07 | 431139001 | 0.515 ppm |
| 2019-02-07 | 431139001 | 0.517 ppm |
| 2019-03-07 | 435216001 | 0.519 ppm |
| 2019-03-07 | 435216001 | 0.555 ppm |
| 2019-04-04 | 439819001 | 0.529 ppm |
| 2019-04-04 | 439819001 | 0.546 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | 444791001 | 0.526 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | 444791001 | 0.539 ppm |
| 2019-06-06 | 450378001 | 0.499 ppm |
| 2019-06-06 | 450378001 | 0.506 ppm |
| 2019-07-04 | 456725001 | 0.517 ppm |
| 2019-07-04 | 456725001 | 0.548 ppm |
| 2019-08-01 | 462195001 | 0.464 ppm |
| 2019-08-01 | 462195001 | 0.493 ppm |
| 2019-09-05 | 469402001 | 0.534 ppm |
| 2019-09-05 | 469402001 | 0.546 ppm |
| 2019-10-03 | 475456001 | 0.481 ppm |
| 2019-10-03 | 475456001 | 0.506 ppm |
| 2019-11-07 | 481547001 | 0.541 ppm |
| 2019-11-07 | 481547001 | 0.545 ppm |
| 2019-12-05 | 485202001 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2019-12-05 | 485202001 | 0.532 ppm |