The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2022 Water Fluoridation Statistics that measures the number of people on public water systems who benefit from fluoridated drinking water. Roughly 2.7 million Kansans rely on community water systems, but only 65.4 percent of them benefit from optimally fluoridated water. This means that over 1 million people who could be served by fluoride are not receiving this preventive public health intervention.
Kansas ranks 33rd in the percentage of its population with optimally fluoridated water. Nearly every surrounding state bested Kansas in the rankings-Missouri ranked 26th, Nebraska was 28th, Oklahoma was 35th, Colorado came in at 27th and Iowa topped the list at 16th.
How can we improve our ranking?
Cities in Kansas have power over their own community. This is sometimes called, “home rule”. Simply put, each community can decide what is best for them as long as it complies with federal laws and the US and KS constitutions. Therefore, every city can decide to adjust the levels of fluoride in their water systems for the benefit of all residents. Kansas communities rely on city, community and non-profit organizations to help fund the addition of fluoride in their water systems. To see if your Kansas community fluoridates its water click here: link back to Know your fluoride with tables.
To find out more about the ranking:
The data are compiled biennially from the CDC's Water Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS). States use the database to ensure the quality of their water fluoridation systems.
To see the CDC's State Fluoridation Percentage Calculations and States Ranked by Fluoridation Percentage click here.