High Levels of Fluoride
Please note higher levels of fluoride were found naturally in our ground water. Fluoride is not something the Town adds to our water. If you have specific questions about this notice, please call Town Hall at 303-769-4464. Notices were sent out to every resident including bulk water accounts on July 27, 2023.
We also failed to notify you of the violation/situation in a timely manner. This information was included in the 2022 Consumer Confidence Report that was made available upon request by the required deadline however this notice containing the fluoride information required direct delivery to all of our customers.
This is an alert about your drinking water and a cosmetic dental problem that might affect children under nine years of age. At low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities, but children drinking water containing more than 2.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of fluoride may develop cosmetic discoloration of their permanent teeth (dental fluorosis). The drinking water provided by your community water system has a fluoride concentration of 2.21 mg/L for samples collected in 2020.
What does this mean? What should I do?
- Dental fluorosis in its moderate or severe forms may result in a brown staining and or pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Children under nine years of age should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water or water that has been treated to remove the fluoride to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting of their permanent teeth. You may also want to contact your dentist about proper use by young children of fluoride-containing products. Older children and adults may safely drink the water.
- Drinking water containing more than 4.0 mg/L of fluoride (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standard) can increase your risk of developing bone disease. Your drinking water does not contain more than 4.0 mg/L of fluoride, but we’re required to notify you when we discover that the fluoride levels in your drinking water exceed 2.0 mg/L because of this cosmetic dental problem.
- Some home water treatment units are also available to remove fluoride from drinking water. To learn more about available home water treatment units, you may call NSF International at 1-877-8-NSF-HELP.
What is being done?
- Fluoride contamination is rarely due to human activity. Fluoride occurs naturally in the ground water in this area.
- Since the fluoride levels are just above the secondary maximum contaminant level the district does not have a resolution date at this time. We are required to sample for fluoride every three years and will continue to monitor the sample results.
For more information, please email the Town Clerk or call 303-769-4464, or stop in at 555 Second Ave. Deer Trail, CO 80105.