Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Neillsville 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
20180.740 ppm24240.657 ppm - 0.800 ppm
20190.692 ppm24240.491 ppm - 0.794 ppm
20200.746 ppm21210.640 ppm - 1.02 ppm
20210.720 ppm28280.567 ppm - 0.875 ppm
20220.792 ppm24240.648 ppm - 0.914 ppm
20230.710 ppm25250.490 ppm - 0.870 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
2018-01-233641630010.758 ppm
2018-01-233641630010.800 ppm
2018-02-123669860010.728 ppm
2018-02-123669860010.800 ppm
2018-03-053696760010.787 ppm
2018-03-053696760010.800 ppm
2018-04-113761070010.740 ppm
2018-04-113761070010.756 ppm
2018-05-163830270010.750 ppm
2018-05-163830270010.800 ppm
2018-06-123883650010.678 ppm
2018-06-123883650010.750 ppm
2018-07-163949170010.690 ppm
2018-07-163949170010.760 ppm
2018-08-144012360010.682 ppm
2018-08-144012360010.740 ppm
2018-09-044052790010.687 ppm
2018-09-044052790010.710 ppm
2018-10-154146620010.700 ppm
2018-10-154146620010.744 ppm
2018-11-064185820010.750 ppm
2018-11-064185820010.790 ppm
2018-12-104236880010.657 ppm
2018-12-104236880010.706 ppm
2019-01-084270650010.660 ppm
2019-01-084270650010.689 ppm
2019-02-134314500010.590 ppm
2019-02-134314500010.649 ppm
2019-03-054341110010.700 ppm
2019-03-054341110010.738 ppm
2019-04-084394280010.640 ppm
2019-04-084394280010.688 ppm
2019-05-144462520010.660 ppm
2019-05-144462520010.755 ppm
2019-06-044499960010.750 ppm
2019-06-044499960010.752 ppm
2019-07-154578010010.710 ppm
2019-07-154578010010.785 ppm
2019-08-064621910010.710 ppm
2019-08-064621910010.778 ppm
2019-09-094688490010.660 ppm
2019-09-094688490010.766 ppm
2019-10-154766960010.707 ppm
2019-10-154766960010.750 ppm
2019-11-054801280010.676 ppm
2019-11-054801280010.794 ppm
2019-12-034843420010.491 ppm
2019-12-034843420010.500 ppm
2020-01-144896130010.650 ppm
2020-01-144896130010.732 ppm
2020-04-064997820010.729 ppm
2020-04-064997820010.755 ppm
2020-05-125046140010.640 ppm
2020-05-125046140010.704 ppm
2020-06-095090120010.700 ppm
2020-06-095090120010.730 ppm
2020-07-205157510010.690 ppm
2020-07-205157510010.725 ppm
2020-07-2920G0971-011.02 ppm
2020-08-055186510010.686 ppm
2020-08-055186510010.733 ppm
2020-09-155259010010.745 ppm
2020-09-155259010010.776 ppm
2020-10-145314550010.765 ppm
2020-10-145314550010.790 ppm
2020-11-195372100010.764 ppm
2020-11-195372100010.793 ppm
2020-12-075396390010.736 ppm
2020-12-075396390010.807 ppm
2021-01-135438550010.727 ppm
2021-01-135438550010.814 ppm
2021-02-105473390010.639 ppm
2021-02-105473390010.740 ppm
2021-02-105473390010.639 ppm
2021-02-105473390010.740 ppm
2021-03-105514220010.624 ppm
2021-03-105514220010.779 ppm
2021-03-105514220010.624 ppm
2021-03-105514220010.779 ppm
2021-04-065550040010.615 ppm
2021-04-065550040010.803 ppm
2021-05-125616340010.691 ppm
2021-05-125616340010.812 ppm
2021-06-155675330010.729 ppm
2021-06-155675330010.786 ppm
2021-07-265746730010.598 ppm
2021-07-265746730010.680 ppm
2021-08-105775900010.845 ppm
2021-08-105775900010.875 ppm
2021-09-135837320010.725 ppm
2021-09-135837320010.787 ppm
2021-10-185903280010.698 ppm
2021-10-185903280010.787 ppm
2021-11-165951800010.567 ppm
2021-11-165951800010.623 ppm
2021-12-145989070010.653 ppm
2021-12-145989070010.772 ppm
2022-01-116017970010.788 ppm
2022-01-116017970010.811 ppm
2022-02-086052360010.781 ppm
2022-02-086052360010.832 ppm
2022-03-026079580010.751 ppm
2022-03-026079580010.844 ppm
2022-04-066129380010.727 ppm
2022-04-066129380010.843 ppm
2022-05-176204370010.680 ppm
2022-05-176204370010.785 ppm
2022-06-156256540010.709 ppm
2022-06-156256540010.869 ppm
2022-07-206324240010.751 ppm
2022-07-206324240010.914 ppm
2022-08-176378370010.648 ppm
2022-08-176378370010.813 ppm
2022-09-206440010010.745 ppm
2022-09-206440010010.893 ppm
2022-10-036464890010.770 ppm
2022-10-036464890010.907 ppm
2022-11-076525810010.767 ppm
2022-11-076525810010.800 ppm
2022-12-136574180010.753 ppm
2022-12-136574180010.820 ppm
2023-01-176612610010.735 ppm
2023-01-176612610010.850 ppm
2023-02-156650320010.731 ppm
2023-02-156650320010.820 ppm
2023-03-0823C0293-010.490 ppm
2023-03-276703180010.653 ppm
2023-03-276703180010.790 ppm
2023-04-246753780010.790 ppm
2023-04-246753780010.870 ppm
2023-05-106783710010.508 ppm
2023-05-106783710010.590 ppm
2023-06-216857450010.610 ppm
2023-06-216857450010.750 ppm
2023-07-176899780010.736 ppm
2023-07-176899780010.790 ppm
2023-08-076944530010.794 ppm
2023-08-076944530010.830 ppm
2023-09-267030010010.598 ppm
2023-09-267030010010.710 ppm
2023-10-047047330010.625 ppm
2023-10-047047330010.770 ppm
2023-11-077100990010.641 ppm
2023-11-077100990010.720 ppm
2023-12-047138900010.604 ppm
2023-12-047138900010.750 ppm