How to Know If the Water We Drink Is Fluoridated or Not

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public-health achievements of the 20th century. Fluoride effectively prevents tooth decay, so a lot of water supply companies routinely adjust the natural fluoride concentration in their water. The optimal level of fluoride, according to the CDC, is 0.7 parts per million (ppm) in warm climates (due to increased water consumption) and 1.2 (ppm) in cold climates. Almost 200 million people in the U.S. had access to fluoridated water in 2008. Some consumers are not comfortable with drinking fluoridated water and opt to find out more about their water supply.

Things You'll Need

• Internet
• Phone
• Money for lab analysis, if necessary

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Instructions

• 1

  Log on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The CDC maintains a database of water supply companies in each state with information about the fluoridation status of the water the companies provide.

• 2

  Search by state for a list of water supply companies if you do not know who supplies your water. If you do know the name of your company, enter the name into the first search box, choose your state and click "Search."

• 3

  Check if your water company adds fluoride to the water, if the water naturally has a reasonable fluoride level, or if the water has negligible fluoride. For example, an Alabama resident who gets water from the Akron Water System can see that the water does not contain added fluoride, and the natural fluoride level is below the level the CDC regards as optimal for dental health. Conversely, an Alabaman receiving water from the Alabaster Water Board can see that the company has added fluorosilicic acid to the water to adjust the natural fluoride concentration up to 1 milligram per liter, which is effective at preventing dental decay.

• 4

  Contact the water supply company directly for the most up-to-date information on the water's fluoride concentrations if you want more information. You can find the contact details for the companies on your water bill. The CDC database is made up of information from individual states, so the data may be a few years out of date. As of March 2011, the CDC last updated its data in 2008.

• 5

  Send a water sample to a testing laboratory for analysis if you get your water from a well.

• 6

  Check the labels if you drink bottled water. Bottled water contains natural fluoride from the source. The manufacturers are not legally obliged to provide the concentration of fluoride on the label, but the Food and Drug Administration does require them to list any fluoride additives. If the label does not show the water's fluoride concentration, you can call the manufacturer's customer service phone number for more information.