Fluoride In Water

The City of Houston’s public water systems, including those serving Harris County, follow federal standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of the Houston Public Work’s water quality report of 2023, the fluoride level in Houston’s drinking water is maintained at approximately 0.13 milligrams per liter (mg/L). This amount is considered optimal for promoting oral health while minimizing potential adverse health effects.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral commonly added to public drinking water systems across the United States to help reduce tooth decay. In Houston, Texas, residents often wonder about the fluoride level in their local water supply, the benefits and risks associated with fluoride in drinking water, and how it may affect their health and daily lives. Let’s break it all down.

Community water fluoridation has been recognized for its dental health benefits, particularly in preventing tooth decay and dental cavities. When consumed at recommended levels, fluoride:

While fluoride in water supplies is generally considered safe and effective, some potential risks are associated with long-term exposure to elevated levels of fluoride or other contaminants, including:

For most residents, fluoride levels in Houston’s water supply are within the EPA’s safe and recommended range. However, those who prefer to avoid fluoride altogether or are concerned about exposure to fluoride or other contaminants can choose to install filtration systems like Reverse Osmosis (RO). Additionally, concerns about coliform bacteria, harmful bacteria, or other drinking water contaminants can be addressed with comprehensive water treatment solutions.

At Culligan of Houston, we understand that clean, safe drinking water is essential. If you’re looking to reduce fluoride in your water, address harmful contaminants, or simply want better-tasting, filtered water, we have solutions that fit your needs. From Reverse Osmosis systems to Whole-House Filtration Systems, our advanced water treatment technologies can help provide peace of mind.

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.

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.

Generally, Culligan Water” does not have fluoride, if the reference of Culligan Water is being used in the context of filtered drinking water from one of its bottled water systems, water dispensers, or home water filter systems and your water is from a municipal source containing fluoride.

Water softeners, primarily designed to remove hardness-causing minerals like calcium and magnesium from water, do not typically remove fluoride. The process used in most water softeners is ion exchange, where hard minerals are swapped with sodium or potassium ions. Fluoride, however, is not targeted in this process and remains largely unaffected.