Fluoride
City of Lynchburg
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 | 0.895 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.720 ppm - 1.05 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.743 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.250 ppm - 1.02 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.702 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.540 ppm - 0.840 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.694 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.240 ppm - 0.960 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.625 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.620 ppm - 0.630 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.545 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.520 ppm - 0.570 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-03 | E131204667 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2014-01-05 | E131204669 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | E131204660 | 0.830 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | E131204662 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2014-02-04 | E131204666 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2014-02-07 | E131204670 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2014-03-01 | E131204668 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2014-03-03 | E131204671 | 0.940 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | E140303867 | 0.940 ppm |
| 2014-04-05 | E140303878 | 0.830 ppm |
| 2014-05-02 | E140303876 | 0.960 ppm |
| 2014-05-03 | E140303868 | 0.920 ppm |
| 2014-06-02 | E140303869 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2014-06-03 | E140303877 | 1.03 ppm |
| 2014-07-01 | E140606126 | 0.910 ppm |
| 2014-07-01 | E140606111 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2014-08-05 | E140606113 | 0.920 ppm |
| 2014-08-05 | E140606125 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2014-09-01 | E140606112 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | E140606124 | 0.970 ppm |
| 2014-10-05 | E140901294 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | E140901290 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2014-11-01 | E140901292 | 1.05 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | E140901295 | 0.950 ppm |
| 2014-12-01 | E140901291 | 0.930 ppm |
| 2014-12-01 | E140901296 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2015-01-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.990 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | VA010-DCLS | 0.810 ppm |
| 2015-01-12 | VA010-DCLS | 1.000 ppm |
| 2015-01-12 | VA010-DCLS | 0.250 ppm |
| 2015-02-02 | VA010-DCLS | 1.02 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | VA010-DCLS | 1.000 ppm |
| 2015-03-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.940 ppm |
| 2015-03-07 | VA010-DCLS | 0.910 ppm |
| 2015-04-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.910 ppm |
| 2015-04-06 | VA010-DCLS | 1.01 ppm |
| 2015-05-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.710 ppm |
| 2015-05-05 | VA010-DCLS | 0.670 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.540 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.510 ppm |
| 2015-07-06 | VA010-DCLS | 0.660 ppm |
| 2015-07-07 | VA010-DCLS | 0.660 ppm |
| 2015-08-03 | VA010-DCLS | 0.740 ppm |
| 2015-08-03 | VA010-DCLS | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | VA010-DCLS | 0.760 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | VA010-DCLS | 0.650 ppm |
| 2015-10-03 | VA010-DCLS | 0.800 ppm |
| 2015-10-03 | VA010-DCLS | 0.530 ppm |
| 2015-11-01 | VA010-DCLS | 0.680 ppm |
| 2015-11-02 | VA010-DCLS | 0.520 ppm |
| 2015-12-04 | VA010-DCLS | 0.730 ppm |
| 2015-12-04 | VA010-DCLS | 0.710 ppm |
| 2016-01-02 | E151104120 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2016-01-02 | E151104123 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2016-01-19 | E151104130 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2016-01-19 | E151104129 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2016-02-02 | E151104124 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2016-02-04 | E151104122 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2016-03-01 | E151104121 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2016-03-01 | E151104125 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2016-04-04 | E160204273 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2016-04-12 | E160204269 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-05-01 | E160204270 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2016-05-02 | E160204274 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-06-04 | E160204271 | 0.840 ppm |
| 2016-06-05 | E160204275 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-07-02 | E160503889 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-07-02 | E160503884 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2016-08-04 | E160503888 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-08-09 | E160503886 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2016-09-02 | E160503887 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-09-03 | E160503885 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2016-10-01 | E160804348 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2016-10-01 | E160804341 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | E160804346 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | E160804340 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2016-12-01 | E160804347 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-12-05 | E160804342 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2017-01-09 | E161205464 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-01-09 | E161205470 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-01-09 | E161205473 | 0.240 ppm |
| 2017-01-13 | E161205477 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2017-02-01 | E161205476 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2017-02-01 | E161205465 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-03-02 | E161205475 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2017-03-03 | E161205466 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2017-04-02 | E170301828 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-04-03 | E170301834 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-05-01 | E170301827 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2017-05-01 | E170301832 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2017-06-01 | E170301833 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2017-06-03 | E170301829 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-07-01 | E170603188 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2017-07-06 | E170603198 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-08-02 | E170603189 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2017-08-05 | E170603196 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2017-09-02 | E170603187 | 0.960 ppm |
| 2017-09-02 | E170603197 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2017-10-03 | E170805393 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2017-10-06 | E170805392 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2017-11-03 | E170805390 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-11-05 | E170805395 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | E170805394 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | E170805391 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-01-02 | E171202090 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2018-01-02 | E171202097 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | E181200838 | 0.570 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | E181200855 | 0.520 ppm |