Fluoride
Verona Waterworks
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 | 0.595 ppm | 29 | 29 | 0.0576 ppm - 0.783 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.720 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.698 ppm - 0.807 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.734 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.696 ppm - 0.827 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.633 ppm | 29 | 29 | 0.0501 ppm - 0.872 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.753 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.700 ppm - 0.875 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.689 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.558 ppm - 0.761 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-13 | 115666001 | 0.621 ppm |
| 2014-01-13 | 115666001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-02-03 | 118020001 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2014-02-03 | 118020001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-03-17 | 123464001 | 0.688 ppm |
| 2014-03-17 | 123464001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 125420001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 125420001 | 0.783 ppm |
| 2014-05-12 | 131644001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-05-12 | 131644001 | 0.758 ppm |
| 2014-06-10 | 138120001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-06-10 | 138120001 | 0.703 ppm |
| 2014-07-23 | 147116001 | 0.694 ppm |
| 2014-07-23 | 147116001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-08-04 | 148768001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-08-04 | 148768001 | 0.745 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152610001 | 0.0576 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152607001 | 0.0618 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152612001 | 0.0630 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152606001 | 0.0674 ppm |
| 2014-09-08 | 155253001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-09-08 | 155253001 | 0.753 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 162047001 | 0.0893 ppm |
| 2014-10-21 | 164633001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-10-21 | 164633001 | 0.722 ppm |
| 2014-11-03 | 166368001 | 0.694 ppm |
| 2014-11-03 | 166368001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-12-01 | 170154001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-12-01 | 170154001 | 0.717 ppm |
| 2015-01-20 | 176180001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-01-20 | 176180001 | 0.706 ppm |
| 2015-02-09 | 178685001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-02-09 | 178685001 | 0.712 ppm |
| 2015-03-09 | 182342001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-03-09 | 182342001 | 0.781 ppm |
| 2015-04-07 | 186457001 | 0.698 ppm |
| 2015-04-07 | 186457001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | 191777001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | 191777001 | 0.737 ppm |
| 2015-06-08 | 197942001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-06-08 | 197942001 | 0.771 ppm |
| 2015-07-20 | 206426001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-07-20 | 206426001 | 0.719 ppm |
| 2015-08-03 | 208953001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-08-03 | 208953001 | 0.718 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | 214706001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | 214706001 | 0.701 ppm |
| 2015-10-26 | 225376001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-10-26 | 225376001 | 0.805 ppm |
| 2015-11-23 | 229801001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-11-23 | 229801001 | 0.723 ppm |
| 2015-12-07 | 231202001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-12-07 | 231202001 | 0.807 ppm |
| 2016-01-11 | 235112001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-01-11 | 235112001 | 0.792 ppm |
| 2016-02-01 | 237620001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-02-01 | 237620001 | 0.768 ppm |
| 2016-03-02 | 241886001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-03-02 | 241886001 | 0.827 ppm |
| 2016-04-11 | 247678001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-04-11 | 247678001 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2016-05-03 | 251911001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-05-03 | 251911001 | 0.784 ppm |
| 2016-06-06 | 257917001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-06-06 | 257917001 | 0.783 ppm |
| 2016-07-25 | 267904001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-07-25 | 267904001 | 0.728 ppm |
| 2016-08-09 | 271023001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-08-09 | 271023001 | 0.742 ppm |
| 2016-09-12 | 276524001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-09-12 | 276524001 | 0.755 ppm |
| 2016-10-04 | 281868001 | 0.696 ppm |
| 2016-10-04 | 281868001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | 286569001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | 286569001 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2016-12-14 | 293114001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-12-14 | 293114001 | 0.756 ppm |
| 2017-01-09 | 295275001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-01-09 | 295275001 | 0.807 ppm |
| 2017-02-20 | 300607001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-02-20 | 300607001 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2017-03-14 | 303947001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-03-14 | 303947001 | 0.805 ppm |
| 2017-04-03 | 307097001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-04-03 | 307097001 | 0.781 ppm |
| 2017-05-09 | 314524001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-05-09 | 314524001 | 0.872 ppm |
| 2017-06-06 | 319828001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-06-06 | 319828001 | 0.851 ppm |
| 2017-07-17 | 328626001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-07-17 | 328626001 | 0.805 ppm |
| 2017-08-07 | 333484001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-08-07 | 333484001 | 0.794 ppm |
| 2017-08-31 | 339193004 | 0.0501 ppm |
| 2017-08-31 | 339193003 | 0.0694 ppm |
| 2017-08-31 | 339193002 | 0.0698 ppm |
| 2017-08-31 | 339193005 | 0.0833 ppm |
| 2017-08-31 | 339193001 | 0.0840 ppm |
| 2017-09-11 | 340791001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-09-11 | 340791001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2017-10-02 | 345974001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-10-02 | 345974001 | 0.765 ppm |
| 2017-11-06 | 352391001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-11-06 | 352391001 | 0.803 ppm |
| 2017-12-11 | 358398001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-12-11 | 358398001 | 0.758 ppm |
| 2018-01-26 | 364398001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-01-26 | 364398001 | 0.746 ppm |
| 2018-02-05 | 365244001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-02-05 | 365244001 | 0.822 ppm |
| 2018-03-13 | 370817001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-03-13 | 370817001 | 0.718 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 373732001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 373732001 | 0.805 ppm |
| 2018-05-14 | 381630001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-05-14 | 381630001 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2018-06-11 | 387399001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-06-11 | 387399001 | 0.822 ppm |
| 2018-07-16 | 394359001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-07-16 | 394359001 | 0.875 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 398677001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 398677001 | 0.805 ppm |
| 2018-09-18 | 408522001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-09-18 | 408522001 | 0.833 ppm |
| 2018-10-08 | 412804001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-10-08 | 412804001 | 0.842 ppm |
| 2018-11-19 | 420388001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-11-19 | 420388001 | 0.773 ppm |
| 2018-12-10 | 423180001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-12-10 | 423180001 | 0.769 ppm |
| 2019-01-07 | 426191001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-01-07 | 426191001 | 0.707 ppm |
| 2019-02-11 | 430830001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-02-11 | 430830001 | 0.744 ppm |
| 2019-03-18 | 435660001 | 0.558 ppm |
| 2019-03-18 | 435660001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | 439013001 | 0.655 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | 439013001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | 447225001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | 447225001 | 0.715 ppm |
| 2019-06-17 | 451957001 | 0.589 ppm |
| 2019-06-17 | 451957001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-07-22 | 458743001 | 0.646 ppm |
| 2019-07-22 | 458743001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-08-14 | 463640001 | 0.686 ppm |
| 2019-08-14 | 463640001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-09-04 | 467506001 | 0.671 ppm |
| 2019-09-04 | 467506001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-10-08 | 475048001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-10-08 | 475048001 | 0.761 ppm |
| 2019-11-05 | 479628001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-11-05 | 479628001 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2019-12-09 | 484932001 | 0.693 ppm |
| 2019-12-09 | 484932001 | 0.700 ppm |