Fluoride occurs naturally. Most cities in Kansas have some fluoride in the water, even if it is not added to the water supply. That means most of you drink at least some fluoride when you go to your tap for a glass of water
• Kansas does not have a statewide fluoridation mandate. Instead, fluoridation decisions are made locally by cities and water systems.
This means communities can choose whether or not to fluoridate their water supplies.
• Approximately 295 systems provide fluoride either naturally or through controlled adjustment.
• 25 Kansas counties do not have fluoridated community water systems serving their populations.
A Brief EXPLANATION
When water operators add fluoride to the water, they add it at a specific point in the water system. Fluoride takes a while to fully mix in the water after that point, and water operators measure fluoride levels at different points along the water systems, so there can be differences in the fluoride levels measured from a public water source. That is why some of these water systems have ranges for their fluoride levels instead of one amount.
What is Kansas RANKED in the region?
Almost 1.7 million Kansans receive fluoridated water, but Kansas still ranks second-to-last in our region for the percentage of residents that receive water from fluoridated public water systems. Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, and Oklahoma all provide a higher percentage of their citizens with fluoridated water that can help strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. To read more, click here.
Good References for facts
• Public Health Impacts of Water Fluorides: Current Evidence from a Rapid Systematic Review – PubMed
• Municipal water fluoridation, adolescent IQ, and cognition across the life course: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study | PNAS
• About Community Water Fluoridation | Fluoridation | CDC
• Community Water Fluoridation Facts | Oral Health | CDC
• BMC Oral Health 2018, “Consequences of community water fluoridation cessation for Medicaid-eligible children and adolescents in Juneau, Alaska,”
• Costs And Savings Associated With Community Water Fluoridation In The United States | Health Affairs
• 2016 Surgeon General’s Statement on Community Water Fluoridation
• Fluoridation Facts Page 6 (6 of 113)
• Fluoride – Health Professional Fact Sheet
• 2022 Water Fluoridation Statistics | Fluoridation | CDC
• Kansas Health Institute Fluoride | Fact Sheet Pink Sheet
Finding your local Water Quality Report
1. Go to your local water supplier page
2. Look for “Water Quality Report” or search it in the search box on the website.
3. Look for the most recent year.
4. Open the document and look for the section on “Inorganic Contaminants” and find fluoride. It should have a range from .2-1mg/l
Wondering how to read the Water Quality Report? Click the link below and find out how.
How to Read Drinking Water Quality Reports | Drinking Water | CDC