Fluoride
Marshfield Utilities
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2014 | 0.710 ppm | 27 | 27 | 0.620 ppm - 1.10 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.679 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.622 ppm - 0.780 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.686 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.350 ppm - 0.836 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.677 ppm | 27 | 27 | 0.578 ppm - 0.810 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.613 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.449 ppm - 0.720 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.625 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.510 ppm - 0.780 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-14 | 116361001 | 0.695 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | 116361001 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2014-02-18 | 120030001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2014-02-18 | 120030001 | 0.667 ppm |
| 2014-03-12 | 774390 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2014-03-12 | 774396 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2014-03-12 | 774393 | 1.10 ppm |
| 2014-03-18 | 124419001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2014-03-18 | 124419001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2014-04-23 | 129253001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-04-23 | 129253001 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2014-05-20 | 133834001 | 0.709 ppm |
| 2014-05-20 | 133834001 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2014-06-18 | 140227001 | 0.731 ppm |
| 2014-06-18 | 140227001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2014-07-15 | 145653001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2014-07-15 | 145653001 | 0.676 ppm |
| 2014-08-26 | 154043001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2014-08-26 | 154043001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | 154447001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | 154447001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 162252001 | 0.695 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 162252001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 167064001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 167064001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2014-12-02 | 171203001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2014-12-02 | 171203001 | 0.623 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | 174662001 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | 174662001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 178324001 | 0.622 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 178324001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2015-03-03 | 181764001 | 0.668 ppm |
| 2015-03-03 | 181764001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-04-14 | 188073001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2015-04-14 | 188073001 | 0.654 ppm |
| 2015-05-12 | 193232001 | 0.699 ppm |
| 2015-05-12 | 193232001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 197317001 | 0.671 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 197317001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2015-07-14 | 205566001 | 0.635 ppm |
| 2015-07-14 | 205566001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2015-08-18 | 212939001 | 0.632 ppm |
| 2015-08-18 | 212939001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2015-09-15 | 217874001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2015-09-15 | 217874001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2015-10-13 | 223995001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2015-10-13 | 223995001 | 0.651 ppm |
| 2015-11-10 | 228158001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2015-11-10 | 228158001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2015-12-08 | 232045001 | 0.668 ppm |
| 2015-12-08 | 232045001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2016-01-12 | 235728001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2016-01-12 | 235728001 | 0.682 ppm |
| 2016-02-16 | 240348001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2016-02-16 | 240348001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2016-03-15 | 244444001 | 0.631 ppm |
| 2016-03-15 | 244444001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2016-04-19 | 250047001 | 0.633 ppm |
| 2016-04-19 | 250047001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-05-17 | 255355001 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2016-05-17 | 255355001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2016-06-21 | 262034001 | 0.583 ppm |
| 2016-06-21 | 262034001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-07-19 | 267189001 | 0.350 ppm |
| 2016-07-19 | 267189001 | 0.599 ppm |
| 2016-08-02 | 270083001 | 0.622 ppm |
| 2016-08-02 | 270083001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2016-09-06 | 275782001 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2016-09-06 | 275782001 | 0.836 ppm |
| 2016-10-04 | 282545001 | 0.707 ppm |
| 2016-10-04 | 282545001 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | 286954001 | 0.744 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | 286954001 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2016-12-21 | 294057001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2016-12-21 | 294057001 | 0.719 ppm |
| 2017-01-03 | 294928001 | 0.657 ppm |
| 2017-01-03 | 294928001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2017-02-07 | 299241001 | 0.676 ppm |
| 2017-02-07 | 299241001 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2017-03-08 | 303363001 | 0.677 ppm |
| 2017-03-08 | 303363001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2017-04-04 | 308259001 | 0.649 ppm |
| 2017-04-04 | 308259001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-04-17 | 983489 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2017-04-17 | 983497 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-04-17 | 983493 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-05-02 | 313539001 | 0.661 ppm |
| 2017-05-02 | 313539001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-06-06 | 320271001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2017-06-06 | 320271001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-07-11 | 327931001 | 0.611 ppm |
| 2017-07-11 | 327931001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-08-08 | 334906001 | 0.662 ppm |
| 2017-08-08 | 334906001 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2017-09-12 | 341963001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2017-09-12 | 341963001 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2017-10-10 | 348288001 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2017-10-10 | 348288001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2017-11-07 | 353262001 | 0.578 ppm |
| 2017-11-07 | 353262001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-12-18 | 360256001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2017-12-18 | 360256001 | 0.631 ppm |
| 2018-01-16 | 363083001 | 0.621 ppm |
| 2018-01-16 | 363083001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-02-20 | 367901001 | 0.612 ppm |
| 2018-02-20 | 367901001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-03-20 | 372294001 | 0.643 ppm |
| 2018-03-20 | 372294001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2018-04-17 | 376905001 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2018-04-17 | 376905001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2018-05-15 | 382733001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2018-05-15 | 382733001 | 0.637 ppm |
| 2018-06-19 | 389897001 | 0.604 ppm |
| 2018-06-19 | 389897001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2018-07-17 | 395254001 | 0.581 ppm |
| 2018-07-17 | 395254001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2018-08-07 | 399596001 | 0.468 ppm |
| 2018-08-07 | 399596001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2018-09-18 | 409397001 | 0.449 ppm |
| 2018-09-18 | 409397001 | 0.480 ppm |
| 2018-10-02 | 412247001 | 0.585 ppm |
| 2018-10-02 | 412247001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2018-11-06 | 418600001 | 0.582 ppm |
| 2018-11-06 | 418600001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2018-12-04 | 422709001 | 0.602 ppm |
| 2018-12-04 | 422709001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 427085001 | 0.579 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 427085001 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 430395001 | 0.616 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 430395001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-03-05 | 434060001 | 0.591 ppm |
| 2019-03-05 | 434060001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | 438553001 | 0.518 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | 438553001 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 445216001 | 0.678 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 445216001 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 450014001 | 0.711 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 450014001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2019-07-29 | 460801001 | 0.510 ppm |
| 2019-07-29 | 460801001 | 0.574 ppm |
| 2019-08-13 | 463630001 | 0.585 ppm |
| 2019-08-13 | 463630001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-09-10 | 469406001 | 0.592 ppm |
| 2019-09-10 | 469406001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2019-10-28 | 478810001 | 0.626 ppm |
| 2019-10-28 | 478810001 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 481223001 | 0.570 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 481223001 | 0.570 ppm |
| 2019-12-10 | 485604001 | 0.614 ppm |
| 2019-12-10 | 485604001 | 0.650 ppm |