by: Jared Hendricks, Marketing/Energy Conservation Manager
Is there fluoride in your drinking water?
If you do a quick web search for “Fluoride,” you will find all sorts of information about fluoride in drinking water. Some will discuss positive effects of fluoride while others discuss negative effects of fluoride. Fluoride has been the center of a large debate ever since Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city to add it to the public water supply in 1945. Since then, countless studies have been written in support of adding fluoride to drinking water.
To answer the question above, YES, there is fluoride in drinking water. Fluoride is naturally found in all water sources including ground water, lakes, rivers, and even oceans. Without getting into too much chemistry, fluoride is the fluorine ion and is naturally deposited into water as it flows through rocks, sands and other natural minerals. In some areas, the amount of naturally occurring fluoride is very low while others have very high concentrations.
At the proper levels, fluoride has been successful in reducing the risk of tooth decay. Today, fluoride can be found not only naturally in water but is also added to toothpastes, mouthwashes, supplements and even some bottled water. When it is added to drinking water, the process is called Fluoridation. Most scientific evidence agrees that fluoridation is a safe and effective way to reduce tooth decay and disease. Fluoridation continues to be endorsed by numerous organizations including the American Dental Association (ADA), World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Water Works Association (AWWA). It has been because of this evidence and support that many states have required fluoride to be added to drinking water.
Minnesota is one of those states that require fluoridation. Since 1970, Minnesota law has required all municipal water suppliers to test and monitor the amount of fluoride in drinking water. If naturally occurring levels are not within the standards, the water supplier must add fluoride to the water to reach the recommended range. Minnesota Department of Health has set that range between 0.9 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L.
The naturally occurring level of fluoride in Owatonna is 0.3 mg/L. Because the naturally occurring level in Owatonna is lower than the standard, fluoridation is required to comply with state laws. Fluoridation is performed under very strict regulation to ensure safety to all customers. Part of these safety procedures include taking daily water samples and testing them to ensure fluoride levels remain within the acceptable range. In addition to these daily samples, the Minnesota Department of Health periodically requires duplicate samples of our water to verify our testing results.
These test results are available to the public through our Consumer Confidence Report. The report is published annually and has the results for all water testing performed throughout the year. The 2013 report is available on our website under Water Safety or in our customer service office by request.
Sources:
- American Dental Association – Fluoridation Facts
- American Dental Association – 10 Reasons to Fluoride Public Water
- American Water Works Association – Fluoridation Policy Statement
- Centers for Disease Control – Division of Oral Health
- Minnesota Statutes 2013 – 144.145
- Minnesota Administrative Rules – 4720.0030
- National Cancer Institute – Fluoridated Water
- Owatonna Public Utilities – Consumer Confidence Report
- US Environmental Protection Agency – Drinking Water
