Fluoride
West Salem 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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.657 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.530 ppm - 0.740 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.688 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.585 ppm - 0.756 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.638 ppm | 23 | 23 | 0.430 ppm - 0.746 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.702 ppm | 28 | 28 | 0.638 ppm - 0.750 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.698 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.630 ppm - 0.760 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.663 ppm | 27 | 27 | 0.440 ppm - 0.752 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-08 | 362581001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-01-08 | 362581001 | 0.631 ppm |
| 2018-02-05 | 365892001 | 0.648 ppm |
| 2018-02-05 | 365892001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 370209001 | 0.721 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 370209001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 374632001 | 0.674 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 374632001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2018-05-14 | 382957001 | 0.636 ppm |
| 2018-05-14 | 382957001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 387215001 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2018-06-04 | 387215001 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2018-07-09 | 393766001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2018-07-09 | 393766001 | 0.697 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 399897001 | 0.668 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 399897001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-09-10 | 407075001 | 0.675 ppm |
| 2018-09-10 | 407075001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-10-08 | 413580001 | 0.646 ppm |
| 2018-10-08 | 413580001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-11-05 | 418561001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2018-11-05 | 418561001 | 0.636 ppm |
| 2018-12-03 | 422847001 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2018-12-03 | 422847001 | 0.659 ppm |
| 2019-01-14 | 428249001 | 0.585 ppm |
| 2019-01-14 | 428249001 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2019-02-18 | 432529001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-02-18 | 432529001 | 0.703 ppm |
| 2019-03-04 | 434046001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-03-04 | 434046001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | 439808001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | 439808001 | 0.756 ppm |
| 2019-05-06 | 445816001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-05-06 | 445816001 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2019-06-13 | 451925001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-06-13 | 451925001 | 0.686 ppm |
| 2019-07-11 | 457252001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-07-11 | 457252001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-08-07 | 462671001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-08-07 | 462671001 | 0.704 ppm |
| 2019-09-12 | 469967001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-09-12 | 469967001 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | 476631001 | 0.709 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | 476631001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 481783001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 481783001 | 0.696 ppm |
| 2019-12-05 | 485984001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-12-05 | 485984001 | 0.716 ppm |
| 2020-01-09 | 488832001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2020-01-09 | 488832001 | 0.746 ppm |
| 2020-04-22 | 502534001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2020-04-22 | 502534001 | 0.695 ppm |
| 2020-05-26 | 506837001 | 0.669 ppm |
| 2020-05-26 | 506837001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2020-06-03 | 20F0131-03 | 0.430 ppm |
| 2020-06-03 | 20F0131-01 | 0.460 ppm |
| 2020-06-03 | 20F0131-02 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2020-06-23 | 511843001 | 0.672 ppm |
| 2020-06-23 | 511843001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2020-07-22 | 517078001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2020-07-22 | 517078001 | 0.673 ppm |
| 2020-08-11 | 521341001 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2020-08-11 | 521341001 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2020-09-23 | 527881001 | 0.658 ppm |
| 2020-09-23 | 527881001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2020-10-05 | 530117001 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2020-10-05 | 530117001 | 0.658 ppm |
| 2020-11-04 | 534962001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2020-11-04 | 534962001 | 0.676 ppm |
| 2020-12-08 | 540590001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2020-12-08 | 540590001 | 0.707 ppm |
| 2021-01-05 | 542894001 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2021-01-05 | 542894001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2021-02-02 | 546539001 | 0.699 ppm |
| 2021-02-02 | 546539001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-02-02 | 546539001 | 0.699 ppm |
| 2021-02-02 | 546539001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-03-02 | 550259001 | 0.716 ppm |
| 2021-03-02 | 550259001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2021-03-02 | 550259001 | 0.716 ppm |
| 2021-03-02 | 550259001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2021-04-06 | 555412001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2021-04-06 | 555412001 | 0.665 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | 560520001 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | 560520001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-06-02 | 565154001 | 0.685 ppm |
| 2021-06-02 | 565154001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 571350001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 571350001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2021-08-04 | 576724001 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2021-08-04 | 576724001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2021-09-01 | 581565001 | 0.682 ppm |
| 2021-09-01 | 581565001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2021-10-05 | 588618001 | 0.724 ppm |
| 2021-10-05 | 588618001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | 593380001 | 0.716 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | 593380001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2021-12-01 | 596826001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2021-12-01 | 596826001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2022-01-05 | 602272001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2022-01-05 | 602272001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2022-02-04 | 605123001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2022-02-04 | 605123001 | 0.698 ppm |
| 2022-03-09 | 610125001 | 0.708 ppm |
| 2022-03-09 | 610125001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2022-04-07 | 613154001 | 0.726 ppm |
| 2022-04-07 | 613154001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2022-05-05 | 618064001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2022-05-05 | 618064001 | 0.712 ppm |
| 2022-06-03 | 622924001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2022-06-03 | 622924001 | 0.667 ppm |
| 2022-07-07 | 629374001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2022-07-07 | 629374001 | 0.699 ppm |
| 2022-08-04 | 635287001 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2022-08-04 | 635287001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2022-09-01 | 640677001 | 0.715 ppm |
| 2022-09-01 | 640677001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | 648596001 | 0.698 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | 648596001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2022-11-03 | 652029001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2022-11-03 | 652029001 | 0.665 ppm |
| 2022-12-09 | 657498001 | 0.681 ppm |
| 2022-12-09 | 657498001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2023-01-05 | 659631001 | 0.645 ppm |
| 2023-01-05 | 659631001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2023-02-02 | 663924001 | 0.629 ppm |
| 2023-02-02 | 663924001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2023-02-09 | 23B0296-01 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2023-02-16 | 23B0478-01 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2023-02-23 | 23B0667-01 | 0.440 ppm |
| 2023-03-02 | 666663001 | 0.642 ppm |
| 2023-03-02 | 666663001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2023-04-13 | 673615001 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2023-04-13 | 673615001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2023-05-11 | 678386001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2023-05-11 | 678386001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2023-06-01 | 681713001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2023-06-01 | 681713001 | 0.642 ppm |
| 2023-07-20 | 690598001 | 0.655 ppm |
| 2023-07-20 | 690598001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2023-08-10 | 694449001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2023-08-10 | 694449001 | 0.677 ppm |
| 2023-09-07 | 699166001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2023-09-07 | 699166001 | 0.752 ppm |
| 2023-10-05 | 705064001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2023-10-05 | 705064001 | 0.735 ppm |
| 2023-11-02 | 709118001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2023-11-02 | 709118001 | 0.734 ppm |
| 2023-12-07 | 713998001 | 0.687 ppm |
| 2023-12-07 | 713998001 | 0.730 ppm |