Fluoride in Los Angeles Tap Water: What You Should Know

Fluoride is in Los Angeles tap water has not been around since the 1940’s, like much of the rest of the United States. The Los Angeles area has an interesting history with water fluoridation. Bills that would allow municipalities to include fluoride in water were struck down in 1968 and 1975. In 2007, the Metropolitan District started servicing fluoride to customers around Los Angeles. Famous activists, such as long-time Hollywood Actor Martin Sheen, spoke out in dissent of this decision.

The practice of adding fluoride to municipal supplies has come under increased scrutiny. Many communities are taking a second look at fluoridation levels and motivations, and as the debate continues, it’s a good idea to know some basics about fluoride and its legacy in this country.

If you want to know if your Los Angeles municipal water provider has fluoride, you can find out more on the California State Water Control Board and read the Consumer Confidence Reports. Some systems offer a mixture of fluoridated and non-fluoridated water.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency (HHS) revised what defined acceptable fluoride levels:

“…water systems practicing fluoridation adjust their fluoride content to 0.7 mg/L (parts per million), as opposed to the previous temperature-dependent optimal levels ranging from 0.7 mg/L to 1.2 mg/L. There is no change regarding federal health officials’ strong and long-standing support regarding the value of fluoridation of drinking water.”

Some Los Angeles water suppliers add fluoride to its water source, while others provide a mixture of fluoridated and non-fluoridated water

Fluoride is a fairly common element that naturally occurs in both water and plant life. The term fluoride typically refers to groups of chemical compounds that include fluorine. Surface water (lakes, rivers, streams) contain relatively low concentrations of fluoride (0.01–0.3 ppm, parts per million), while ground water sources tend to vary based on their exposure to minerals containing fluorine compounds, which can gradually leach into the water. Pollution in the atmosphere and other natural events like volcanic activity can also influence levels of naturally-occurring fluoride in water supplies.

Since plant life relies heavily on water, most forms of plants and vegetation contain various levels of fluoride.

The most common use for artificially-created fluoride is the treatment of cavities and supporting dental health. Fluoride has been widely shown to prevent, and even reverse, tooth decay, and has been added to many city water supplies throughout the country as a result.

Fluoride in LA Tap Water: The Basics

After the link was found between its impact on dental health, fluoride made its first appearance in water supplies in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945 by a process called fluoridation. This involves adding fluoride to a municipal water supply at anywhere between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm (considered the safe and effective range for fluoride additives.) 0.7 is widely considered the safest level of concentration, as well as the optimal range for preventing tooth decay.

Today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 72% of Americans have access to fluoridated water in their homes or communities. A strong proponent of fluoridated water, the CDC hopes to increase this number to closer to 80% by 2020.

Despite the CDC’s strong backing, however, fluoride in drinking water is not without its critics. For example, recent studies have linked increased fluoride consumption in pregnant women to reduced IQ levels in their children, while other, less alarming studies simply fail to corroborate the dental hygiene benefits of fluoridated water.

Is There Fluoride in My Los Angeles Water?

The CDC provides a quick-reference guide for you to determine whether or not your home is one of the 72% of American homes currently served by fluoridated water. However, though California is not in a state-wide program, some local municipalities do choose to do this.

Fluoride Removal: The Whys and Hows

If your home has fluoridated water and you’re concerned about it, there are water treatment methods available that specifically address and remove water additives like fluoride.

Reverse osmosis systems for example, are designed to remove hard-to-filter chemicals like fluoride, that many other filtration systems can miss.

In addition to reverse osmosis water treatment, Culligan provides additional options for filtration systems that safely and effectively remove fluoride and other additives from your drinking water. Whether you want to remove just fluoride, or have other concerns — like chlorine or iron, your local Culligan Man can test your water to determine what’s in it (for free!), and help you make the right choice for improving your home’s water.

Learn more about fluoride removal here. 

Los Angeles County Water Systems That Use Fluoride In Their Water Source

• Golden State WC (Bell, Bell Garden)
• Golden State WC (Willowbrook)
• Golden State WC (Florence/Graham)
• Golden State Water Co. (Norwalk)
• Golden State WC (Hollydale)
• Golden State Water Co. (Southwest)
• City of Torrance
• Foothill Municipal Water District
• City of Long Beach
• City of Lomita
• City of Los Angeles (LADWP)
• City of Beverly Hills
• Liberty Utilities (Lynwood/Rancho Dominguez)
• Liberty Utilities (Norwalk/Bellflower)
• Cal-Water Service Co. (Palos Verdes)

Los Angeles County Water Systems That Use A Mixture Of Fluoridated and Non-Fluoridated Water

• Bellflower Somerset Mutual WC
• Golden State Water Co. (Claremont)
• City of Glendora
• Suburban Water Sys. (Glendora)
• Cal-American WC (Baldwin Hills)
• Suburban Water Sys. (La Mirada)
• Orchard Dale Water District
• City of Paramount
• City of Covina
• Cal-American Water Co. (San Marino)
• Golden State Water Co. (San Dimas)
• City of Sierra Madre
• City of Signal Hill
• Walnut Park Mutual Water Co.
• Suburban Water Sys (Whittier)
• City of Burbank
• Suburban Water Sys. (Covina Knolls)
• Suburban Water Sys. (San Jose)
• La Habra Heights County WD
• Golden State WC (So. San Gabriel)
• City of Lakewood
• City of Inglewood
• City of Pasadena
• Valley Water Co.
• City of Norwalk
• Las Flores Water Co.
• City of Santa Monica
• Cal-Water Service Co. (Dominguez)
• Cal-Water SC (East Los Angeles)
• City of Hawthorne
• City of Commerce
• Cal-Water SC (City of Montebello)
• Cal-Water SC (Hermosa/Redondo)
• Rowland Water District
• City of Santa Fe Springs

Looking to learn more? Visit Culligan of Los Angeles today!

Sources:

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/myths/fluoridated-water-fact-sheet

http://www.newsweek.com/childrens-iq-could-be-lowered-drinking-tap-water-while-pregnant-667660

https://nccd.cdc.gov/DOH_MWF/default/default.aspx

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-dec-22-me-fluoride22-story.html

https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/Fluoridation.html