Fluoride
Mcfarland 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 | 0.726 ppm | 27 | 27 | 0.0765 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.795 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.500 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.677 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.359 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.665 ppm | 35 | 35 | 0.1000 ppm - 1.20 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.710 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.500 ppm - 0.900 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.749 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.400 ppm - 0.900 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 | 116064001 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | 116064001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-02-13 | 119661001 | 0.891 ppm |
| 2014-02-13 | 119661001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2014-03-11 | 122728001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-03-11 | 122728001 | 0.722 ppm |
| 2014-04-14 | 127359001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2014-04-14 | 127359001 | 0.836 ppm |
| 2014-05-12 | 131643001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2014-05-12 | 131643001 | 0.685 ppm |
| 2014-06-09 | 137530001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2014-06-09 | 137530001 | 0.922 ppm |
| 2014-07-14 | 144801001 | 0.841 ppm |
| 2014-07-14 | 144801001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2014-08-11 | 150294001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2014-08-11 | 150294001 | 0.947 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152636001 | 0.0765 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152637001 | 0.104 ppm |
| 2014-08-20 | 152640001 | 0.136 ppm |
| 2014-09-15 | 156899001 | 0.430 ppm |
| 2014-09-15 | 156899001 | 0.927 ppm |
| 2014-10-13 | 163022001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2014-10-13 | 163022001 | 0.837 ppm |
| 2014-11-10 | 167633001 | 0.904 ppm |
| 2014-11-10 | 167633001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2014-12-08 | 171367001 | 0.822 ppm |
| 2014-12-08 | 171367001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2015-01-13 | 175404001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-01-13 | 175404001 | 0.799 ppm |
| 2015-02-10 | 179061001 | 0.778 ppm |
| 2015-02-10 | 179061001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-03-09 | 182365001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-03-09 | 182365001 | 0.792 ppm |
| 2015-04-13 | 187370001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2015-04-13 | 187370001 | 0.838 ppm |
| 2015-05-11 | 192277001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2015-05-11 | 192277001 | 0.823 ppm |
| 2015-06-08 | 197951001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-06-08 | 197951001 | 0.856 ppm |
| 2015-07-13 | 204846001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-07-13 | 204846001 | 0.825 ppm |
| 2015-08-10 | 210503001 | 0.867 ppm |
| 2015-08-10 | 210503001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-09-14 | 216858001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2015-09-14 | 216858001 | 0.886 ppm |
| 2015-10-14 | 223790001 | 0.871 ppm |
| 2015-10-14 | 223790001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-11-16 | 228507001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-11-16 | 228507001 | 0.752 ppm |
| 2015-12-14 | 232467001 | 0.891 ppm |
| 2015-12-14 | 232467001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2016-01-13 | 235736001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-01-13 | 235736001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2016-02-08 | 238462001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2016-02-08 | 238462001 | 0.738 ppm |
| 2016-03-14 | 243690001 | 0.956 ppm |
| 2016-03-14 | 243690001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2016-04-11 | 247713001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2016-04-11 | 247713001 | 0.576 ppm |
| 2016-05-09 | 252944001 | 0.359 ppm |
| 2016-05-09 | 252944001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-06-13 | 259696001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2016-06-13 | 259696001 | 0.698 ppm |
| 2016-07-11 | 264953001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-07-11 | 264953001 | 0.746 ppm |
| 2016-08-09 | 271021001 | 0.479 ppm |
| 2016-08-09 | 271021001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-09-13 | 277183001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-09-13 | 277183001 | 0.822 ppm |
| 2016-10-03 | 281377001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2016-10-03 | 281377001 | 0.646 ppm |
| 2016-11-18 | 289763001 | 0.723 ppm |
| 2016-11-18 | 289763001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2016-12-14 | 293116001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-12-14 | 293116001 | 0.733 ppm |
| 2017-01-04 | 294949001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-01-04 | 294949001 | 1.06 ppm |
| 2017-02-01 | 298091001 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2017-02-01 | 298091002 | 0.113 ppm |
| 2017-02-01 | 298091003 | 0.115 ppm |
| 2017-02-06 | 298459001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-02-06 | 298459001 | 0.715 ppm |
| 2017-03-07 | 302808001 | 0.734 ppm |
| 2017-03-07 | 302808001 | 1.20 ppm |
| 2017-03-15 | 304302001 | 0.648 ppm |
| 2017-03-15 | 304302001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-04-01 | 312567001 | 0.673 ppm |
| 2017-04-01 | 312567001 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2017-04-03 | 307140001 | 0.794 ppm |
| 2017-04-03 | 307140001 | 1.20 ppm |
| 2017-04-06 | 308283001 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2017-04-06 | 308283001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-05-17 | 316490001 | 0.537 ppm |
| 2017-05-17 | 316490001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 320320001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 320320001 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2017-07-11 | 327293001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2017-07-11 | 327293001 | 0.634 ppm |
| 2017-08-07 | 333536001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-08-07 | 333536001 | 0.717 ppm |
| 2017-09-05 | 339539001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2017-09-05 | 339539001 | 0.718 ppm |
| 2017-09-18 | 342585001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-09-18 | 342585001 | 0.697 ppm |
| 2017-10-04 | 346898001 | 0.585 ppm |
| 2017-10-04 | 346898001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-11-06 | 352434001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-11-06 | 352434001 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 357497001 | 0.647 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 357497001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-01-04 | 361324001 | 0.684 ppm |
| 2018-01-04 | 361324001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-02-07 | 365955001 | 0.634 ppm |
| 2018-02-07 | 365955001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 369304001 | 0.628 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | 369304001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-04-03 | 374222001 | 0.657 ppm |
| 2018-04-03 | 374222001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-05-14 | 381661001 | 0.673 ppm |
| 2018-05-14 | 381661001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-06-06 | 386681001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2018-06-06 | 386681001 | 0.572 ppm |
| 2018-07-10 | 393183001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-07-10 | 393183001 | 0.761 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 398704001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | 398704001 | 0.788 ppm |
| 2018-09-04 | 404619001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-09-04 | 404619001 | 0.821 ppm |
| 2018-10-02 | 411847001 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-10-02 | 411847001 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2018-11-05 | 417607001 | 0.768 ppm |
| 2018-11-05 | 417607001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-12-03 | 421977001 | 0.663 ppm |
| 2018-12-03 | 421977001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 426642001 | 0.693 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 426642001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-02-04 | 429716001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2019-02-04 | 429716001 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2019-03-04 | 433404001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-03-04 | 433404001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-04-01 | 437796001 | 0.684 ppm |
| 2019-04-01 | 437796001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-05-06 | 443792001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-05-06 | 443792001 | 0.778 ppm |
| 2019-06-03 | 448996001 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2019-06-03 | 448996001 | 0.745 ppm |
| 2019-07-08 | 455694001 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2019-07-08 | 455694001 | 0.725 ppm |
| 2019-08-05 | 461183001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-08-05 | 461183001 | 0.827 ppm |
| 2019-09-03 | 466993001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-09-03 | 466993001 | 0.812 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | 475445001 | 0.749 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | 475445001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-11-13 | 481349001 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-11-13 | 481349001 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-12-02 | 483600001 | 0.866 ppm |
| 2019-12-02 | 483600001 | 0.900 ppm |