Fluoride
Racine 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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.705 ppm | 25 | 25 | 0.630 ppm - 0.780 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.707 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.540 ppm - 0.770 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.689 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.633 ppm - 0.740 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.686 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.652 ppm - 0.720 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.684 ppm | 25 | 25 | 0.634 ppm - 0.746 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.681 ppm | 25 | 25 | 0.620 ppm - 0.770 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 | 115051001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2014-01-02 | 115051001 | 0.732 ppm |
| 2014-02-03 | 118514001 | 0.687 ppm |
| 2014-02-03 | 118514001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2014-03-03 | 121942001 | 0.722 ppm |
| 2014-03-03 | 121942001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2014-03-11 | 774080 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2014-04-10 | 127326001 | 0.691 ppm |
| 2014-04-10 | 127326001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2014-05-01 | 130117001 | 0.677 ppm |
| 2014-05-01 | 130117001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2014-06-04 | 137379001 | 0.667 ppm |
| 2014-06-04 | 137379001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2014-07-02 | 143019001 | 0.682 ppm |
| 2014-07-02 | 143019001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2014-08-04 | 149561001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2014-08-04 | 149561001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | 155076001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | 155076001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2014-10-01 | 161343001 | 0.756 ppm |
| 2014-10-01 | 161343001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 167407001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 167407001 | 0.776 ppm |
| 2014-12-05 | 171691001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2014-12-05 | 171691001 | 0.734 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | 174596001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | 174596001 | 0.757 ppm |
| 2015-02-01 | 178469001 | 0.721 ppm |
| 2015-02-01 | 178469001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2015-03-01 | 181421001 | 0.715 ppm |
| 2015-03-01 | 181421001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2015-04-01 | 185944001 | 0.743 ppm |
| 2015-04-01 | 185944001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | 192193001 | 0.688 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | 192193001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 197897001 | 0.657 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 197897001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2015-07-07 | 204678001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2015-07-07 | 204678001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2015-08-04 | 210370001 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2015-08-04 | 210370001 | 0.558 ppm |
| 2015-09-15 | 217922001 | 0.696 ppm |
| 2015-09-15 | 217922001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2015-10-07 | 222640001 | 0.665 ppm |
| 2015-10-07 | 222640001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2015-11-03 | 227300001 | 0.707 ppm |
| 2015-11-03 | 227300001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2015-12-01 | 231039001 | 0.693 ppm |
| 2015-12-01 | 231039001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-01-05 | 234841001 | 0.702 ppm |
| 2016-01-05 | 234841001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2016-02-02 | 238317001 | 0.691 ppm |
| 2016-02-02 | 238317001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-03-01 | 242190001 | 0.675 ppm |
| 2016-03-01 | 242190001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-04-05 | 247519001 | 0.691 ppm |
| 2016-04-05 | 247519001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-05-03 | 252865001 | 0.672 ppm |
| 2016-05-03 | 252865001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-06-02 | 257860001 | 0.653 ppm |
| 2016-06-02 | 257860001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-07-15 | 267193001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2016-07-15 | 267193001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-08-15 | 272667001 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2016-08-15 | 272667001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-09-07 | 276419001 | 0.659 ppm |
| 2016-09-07 | 276419001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-10-03 | 282304001 | 0.681 ppm |
| 2016-10-03 | 282304001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2016-11-02 | 287408001 | 0.651 ppm |
| 2016-11-02 | 287408001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-12-01 | 291036001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2016-12-01 | 291036001 | 0.681 ppm |
| 2017-01-10 | 296137001 | 0.653 ppm |
| 2017-01-10 | 296137001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2017-02-06 | 299264001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2017-02-06 | 299264001 | 0.716 ppm |
| 2017-03-01 | 302175001 | 0.696 ppm |
| 2017-03-01 | 302175001 | 0.696 ppm |
| 2017-03-01 | 302175001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-04-04 | 309449001 | 0.677 ppm |
| 2017-04-04 | 309449001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-05-02 | 313887001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2017-05-02 | 313887001 | 0.701 ppm |
| 2017-05-10 | 987745 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-06-01 | 320286001 | 0.652 ppm |
| 2017-06-01 | 320286001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-07-01 | 325748001 | 0.652 ppm |
| 2017-07-01 | 325748001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2017-08-02 | 333406001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-08-02 | 333406001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-09-05 | 340664001 | 0.684 ppm |
| 2017-09-05 | 340664001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-10-03 | 347338001 | 0.659 ppm |
| 2017-10-03 | 347338001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-11-01 | 352277001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-11-01 | 352277001 | 0.686 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 358231001 | 0.666 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 358231001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-01-01 | 361413001 | 0.634 ppm |
| 2018-01-01 | 361413001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-02-07 | 366233001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2018-02-07 | 366233001 | 0.664 ppm |
| 2018-03-14 | 371561001 | 0.704 ppm |
| 2018-03-14 | 371561001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-04-11 | 376580001 | 0.705 ppm |
| 2018-04-11 | 376580001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2018-05-01 | 379937001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2018-05-01 | 379937001 | 0.746 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 386876001 | 0.679 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 386876001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-07-01 | 392221001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-07-01 | 392221001 | 0.698 ppm |
| 2018-07-16 | 1067361 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2018-08-07 | 400075001 | 0.684 ppm |
| 2018-08-07 | 400075001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-09-07 | 407284001 | 0.652 ppm |
| 2018-09-07 | 407284001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2018-10-04 | 413923001 | 0.648 ppm |
| 2018-10-04 | 413923001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-11-05 | 418692001 | 0.645 ppm |
| 2018-11-05 | 418692001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-12-02 | 423070001 | 0.654 ppm |
| 2018-12-02 | 423070001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-01-01 | 426103001 | 0.668 ppm |
| 2019-01-01 | 426103001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-02-12 | 431609001 | 0.734 ppm |
| 2019-02-12 | 431609001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2019-03-12 | 435576001 | 0.673 ppm |
| 2019-03-12 | 435576001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | 438925001 | 0.708 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | 438925001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2019-04-15 | 1115043 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2019-05-14 | 446678001 | 0.671 ppm |
| 2019-05-14 | 446678001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 450380001 | 0.645 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 450380001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-07-08 | 457225001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-07-08 | 457225001 | 0.721 ppm |
| 2019-08-13 | 464237001 | 0.673 ppm |
| 2019-08-13 | 464237001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-09-04 | 468036001 | 0.655 ppm |
| 2019-09-04 | 468036001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2019-10-15 | 477088001 | 0.626 ppm |
| 2019-10-15 | 477088001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 481600001 | 0.667 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 481600001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-12-03 | 484806001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-12-03 | 484806001 | 0.661 ppm |