Fluoride
Fluoride is added to the water to protect teeth and improve oral health, as required by state law passed in 1969. This law requires drinking water to have fluoride levels between 0.8 to 1.3mg/L. In compliance with this law, the water supplied by GCWW has a fluoride level of about 0.85 mg/L. Some fluoride is present naturally in drinking water, and more is added at the treatment plant.
According to the American Dental Association, adults and children who drink fluoridated water have a 20 to 40% reduction in the number of cavities and tooth loss that would have occurred without fluoride. The use of fluoridation in drinking water has been recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as being one of the 10 greatest public health achievements in the 20th century.
GCWW continually monitors the level of fluoride in the drinking water, with alarms in place so that GCWW can adjust the fluoride levels if the levels get outside of the target range.
For further information, see the following:
• American Dental Association
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Medical Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Community Water Fluoridation
• American Water Works Association’s Fluoride in Water page
• Ohio Department of Health Fluoride Fact Sheet