Excerpt:

Health and Damages

LCWD board members said the fluoride levels in their water are now higher than allowed by the California State Board of Health.

“Our concern is that the lower you go to get the water the more concentrated [the fluoride] is,” said Director Steve Cozzeto.

Directors said that pumping the volume of water that 557 new homes would require will drop the water table even lower, causing greater expense to their district and increased health hazards.

Lebec County Water District has a naturally occuring fluoride concentration of 2.2 mg/L. This is above the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), of 2.0 mg/L.

The water district has been required to send out letters to their residents telling them that children’s teeth may be damaged from drinking the water. At low levels, fluoride prevents dental cavities, but above 2 mg/L can cause brown spots on the forming permanent teeth of children under age 9, the letter says, and above 4 mg/L, may increase risk of bone disease.

Fluoride MCL compliance is based on a running annual average value from the last four consecutive quarters.

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