Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Tomahawk 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
20180.634 ppm24240.581 ppm - 0.690 ppm
20190.675 ppm24240.552 ppm - 1.000 ppm
20200.664 ppm20200.538 ppm - 0.770 ppm
20210.565 ppm28280.0816 ppm - 0.720 ppm
20220.502 ppm24240.410 ppm - 0.670 ppm
20230.362 ppm26260.0407 ppm - 0.720 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
2018-01-293648140010.650 ppm
2018-01-293648140010.670 ppm
2018-02-273688600010.588 ppm
2018-02-273688600010.650 ppm
2018-03-283734840010.581 ppm
2018-03-283734840010.690 ppm
2018-04-243783780010.614 ppm
2018-04-243783780010.620 ppm
2018-05-213841590010.619 ppm
2018-05-213841590010.630 ppm
2018-06-263912040010.610 ppm
2018-06-263912040010.627 ppm
2018-07-233964230010.620 ppm
2018-07-233964230010.642 ppm
2018-08-073997210010.630 ppm
2018-08-073997210010.646 ppm
2018-09-054056530010.616 ppm
2018-09-054056530010.620 ppm
2018-10-024122520010.640 ppm
2018-10-024122520010.662 ppm
2018-11-054181000010.640 ppm
2018-11-054181000010.653 ppm
2018-12-044227200010.630 ppm
2018-12-044227200010.656 ppm
2019-01-074266190010.630 ppm
2019-01-074266190010.644 ppm
2019-02-054304060010.630 ppm
2019-02-054304060010.675 ppm
2019-03-054341100010.675 ppm
2019-03-054341100010.740 ppm
2019-04-024385780010.658 ppm
2019-04-024385780010.690 ppm
2019-05-084451150010.655 ppm
2019-05-084451150010.800 ppm
2019-06-054502090010.760 ppm
2019-06-054502090011.000 ppm
2019-07-084562460010.570 ppm
2019-07-084562460010.593 ppm
2019-08-054616960010.552 ppm
2019-08-054616960010.580 ppm
2019-09-044678720010.622 ppm
2019-09-044678720010.650 ppm
2019-10-094757300010.658 ppm
2019-10-094757300010.660 ppm
2019-11-054801220010.650 ppm
2019-11-054801220010.664 ppm
2019-12-044845920010.711 ppm
2019-12-044845920010.740 ppm
2020-01-154896910010.610 ppm
2020-01-154896910010.770 ppm
2020-04-064997840010.632 ppm
2020-04-064997840010.750 ppm
2020-05-055034970010.538 ppm
2020-05-055034970010.720 ppm
2020-06-025078130010.590 ppm
2020-06-025078130010.680 ppm
2020-07-065131270010.639 ppm
2020-07-065131270010.660 ppm
2020-08-035180790010.580 ppm
2020-08-035180790010.612 ppm
2020-09-025234490010.670 ppm
2020-09-025234490010.715 ppm
2020-10-065299360010.684 ppm
2020-10-065299360010.770 ppm
2020-11-025343370010.650 ppm
2020-11-025343370010.662 ppm
2020-12-015384050010.667 ppm
2020-12-015384050010.680 ppm
2021-01-115432900010.690 ppm
2021-01-115432900010.700 ppm
2021-02-015459280010.473 ppm
2021-02-015459280010.720 ppm
2021-02-015459280010.473 ppm
2021-02-015459280010.720 ppm
2021-03-095511950010.460 ppm
2021-03-095511950010.482 ppm
2021-03-095511950010.460 ppm
2021-03-095511950010.482 ppm
2021-04-075552770010.588 ppm
2021-04-075552770010.710 ppm
2021-05-055603700010.580 ppm
2021-05-055603700010.700 ppm
2021-06-015646880010.580 ppm
2021-06-015646880010.630 ppm
2021-07-065708300010.600 ppm
2021-07-065708300010.640 ppm
2021-08-035762800010.570 ppm
2021-08-035762800010.633 ppm
2021-09-075822040010.531 ppm
2021-09-075822040010.540 ppm
2021-10-065884540010.560 ppm
2021-10-065884540010.630 ppm
2021-11-015925430010.477 ppm
2021-11-015925430010.490 ppm
2021-12-065973020010.0816 ppm
2021-12-065973020010.630 ppm
2022-01-106014630010.430 ppm
2022-01-106014630010.459 ppm
2022-02-086052340010.592 ppm
2022-02-086052340010.670 ppm
2022-03-086089080010.520 ppm
2022-03-086089080010.607 ppm
2022-04-196150450010.430 ppm
2022-04-196150450010.472 ppm
2022-05-036175340010.440 ppm
2022-05-036175340010.524 ppm
2022-06-136250110010.514 ppm
2022-06-136250110010.540 ppm
2022-07-066290780010.460 ppm
2022-07-066290780010.514 ppm
2022-08-016343860010.460 ppm
2022-08-016343860010.493 ppm
2022-09-126420780010.410 ppm
2022-09-126420780010.439 ppm
2022-10-036464880010.438 ppm
2022-10-036464880010.560 ppm
2022-11-076522540010.431 ppm
2022-11-076522540010.550 ppm
2022-12-076563770010.456 ppm
2022-12-076563770010.630 ppm
2023-01-036593050010.475 ppm
2023-01-036593050010.520 ppm
2023-02-076639890010.472 ppm
2023-02-076639890010.600 ppm
2023-03-076677010010.485 ppm
2023-03-076677010010.720 ppm
2023-04-036716360010.482 ppm
2023-04-036716360010.530 ppm
2023-04-18CB03729-040.0570 ppm
2023-04-18CB03729-010.0590 ppm
2023-05-026766750010.608 ppm
2023-05-026766750010.630 ppm
2023-06-066826820010.0407 ppm
2023-06-066826820010.580 ppm
2023-07-106882550010.0417 ppm
2023-07-106882550010.330 ppm
2023-08-076938510010.0523 ppm
2023-08-076938510010.340 ppm
2023-09-127002540010.180 ppm
2023-09-127002540010.208 ppm
2023-10-037044320010.249 ppm
2023-10-037044320010.450 ppm
2023-11-077103220010.230 ppm
2023-11-077103220010.440 ppm
2023-12-057138860010.160 ppm
2023-12-057138860010.483 ppm