Washington
WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:
- PERCENT OF PEOPLE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE FLUORIDATED:
2018: 63.9% – ranked #35 among the states (100% fluoridated is ranked #1)
2016: 63.9%
2014: 63.9%
2012: 63.6%
2006: 62.9%
2000: 57.8%
1992: 53.2% - To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
- To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.
- To see the latest news on fluoride developments in Washington, click here.
- To see an updated list of Washington’s professionals calling for an end to fluoridation, click here.
Map of systems that deliver fluoridated water
Map of naturally occurring fluoride by county
The Washington State Department of Health have these maps are online at https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/DrinkingWater/FluorideinDrinkingWater
AUGUST 2020: Huge campaign to fluoridate Spokane
• The Smile Spokane Network is leading this campaign
• See letter that is circulating for people to sign and send to the Spokane City Council
• Editorial: It’s time to fluoridate Spokane’s water, The Spokesman-Review, August 9, 2020
• The partners of Smile Spokane Network are: Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington; ARCORA – Foundation of Delta Dental of Washington; Better Health Together; Big Table; CHAS Health; Communities in Schools – Spokane County; Dentist Link – powered by ARCORA Foundation; Eastern Washington University; Empire Health Foundation; Frontier Behavioral Health; Providence Health Care; SNAP – Neighbors By Your Side; Spokane County Medical Society; Spokane Regional Health District; The Mighty Mouth; The Native Project; Toothsavers of Washington; Unify Community Health – We Are Family
Leading Advocates for Fluoridation in the State of Washington
• The University of Washington School of Public Health
— Gary T. Chiodo, DMD, FACD, Interim Dean, School of Dentistry
— Paul Ramsey, MD, Dean, School of Medicine
— Azita Emami, PhD, MSN, RNT, RN, FAAN, Dean, School of Nursing
— Sean D. Sullivan, BScPharm, PhD, Dean, School of Pharmacy
— Hilary Godwin, PhD, Dean, School of Public Health
— Edwina Uehara, PhD, MSW, Dean, School of Social Work
• Water Fluoridation for a Healthy Washington. Their supporters include:
— Vanetta Abdellatif, President and CEO, Arcora Foundation
— Dr. Gary T. Chiodo, Professor and Dean, University of Washington School of Dentistry
— Dr. Benjamin Danielson, Senior Medical Director, Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic and Central Region, Seattle Children’s
— Shelley Guinn, State Oral Health Program Consultant, Washington State Department of Health
— Dr. Kathy Lofy, State Health Officer & Chief Science Officer, Washington State Department of Health
— Emily Lovell, Director of Government Affairs, WSDA
— Dr. Russell Maier, Physician Advisor to the Dean, Pacfic Northwest University-Health Sciences
— Michelle Merriweather, President and CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
— Mark Mitchke, President and CEO, Delta Dental of Washington
— Diane Oakes, Chief Mission Officer, Delta Dental of Washington
— Ileana Maria Ponce-Gonzalez, Executive Director, Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees
— Faaluaina “Lua” Pritchard, Executive Director, Asian Pacific Cultural Center
— Dr. Nicholas Velis, General Dentist, Smile Spokane Member
— Dr. Elisabeth A. Warder, Dental Director, CHAS Health
— Jennifer Zbaraschuk, President, WA Dental Hygienists’ Association
More Supporters include:
— School of Dentistry, University of Washington
— Latino Community Fund, Washington State
— Seattle’s Children’s Hospital Research Foundation
— Delta Dental of Washington
— ADHA – Dental Hygienists Association
— Community Health Workers Coalition for Migrants and Refugees
— Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
— Washington Association for Community Health
— Molina Health Care
— Statewide Poverty Action Network
— SmileSpokane
— Washington State Department of Health
— Asia Pacific Cultural Center
— Children’s Alliance – A Voice for Washington’s Children, Youth and Families
— WSDA Washington State Dental Association
— BetterHealthT0gether
— Arcora Foundation (formerly the Washington Dental Service Foundation)
DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:
- 2015-2016. Smile Survey. A Report on the Oral Health of Washington’s Children. Washington State Department of Health.
- 2009. Washington State Collaborative Oral Health Improvement Plan 2009-2014. Washington State Oral Health Coalition. November. Acknowledgment: Federal funding from HRSA Grant T12HP10687, CFDA 93.236. No mention of dental fluorosis.
- 2011. Smile Survey 2010. The Oral Health of Washington’s Children. By the Washington State Department of Health; Delta Dental Washington Dental Service Foundation; Washington State Department of Early Learning. March. No mention of dental fluorosis.
— White Spot Lesions mentioned in Tables 7,8,9,10.
— White Spot Lesions in Head Start/ECEAP Preschoolers is 20.5%
White Spot: Head Start/ECEAP Preschoolers by race:
25.3%, African-American
20.7%, Minority
20.6%, White, Non-Hispanic
17.5%, Hispanic
department of health: documents released in august 2015
- 2015 Statement on Community Water Fluoridation
- Overview for new Rulemaking on fluoridation – public comments due August 31, 2015.
Next steps: The Department will evaluate comments and finalize the rule language in September, and begin drafting the analyses. The Board plans to hold a formal public hearing in March 2016. - Draft rule for public comment by August 30, 2015 (Amending WSR 99-07-021)
- Fact Sheet on Fluoridation WAC 246-290-460
- Initial notice for rule making (June 2004)
- Rulemaking timeline WAC 246-290-460
- Summary of Draft rule changes – Drinking Water Lab Data Reporting (March 2015)
- Fact Sheet: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund – Emergency Loan Program (July 2015)
- 1992 Drinking Water Laboratory Certification and Data Reporting Rules
- Draft Laboratory Reporting Guidance (March 2015)
Water Fluoridation Accident:
- Seattle – May 1976:
Plastic fitting broke in rubber-lined steel tank spilling fluoride on the ground in Cedar River watershed. 5,000 gallons of fluoride spilled. An earth mound was built around tank to divert spillage from river. Seattle Times (5/23/76), NFN (July-Sept. 1976)
LAWSUIT NEWS:
-
2017-2018: King County Citizens Against Fluoridation, Appellant v WA State Pharmacy Quality Assur Respondent
Appellant, King County Citizens Against Fluoridation, petitioned the Respondent, Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission, for a new rule clarifying additives and fluoridated waters using those additives (whether bottled or public) are drugs under state laws when the intended use is prevention of tooth decay disease.
— Appellant’s Brief (July 10, 2017)
— Reply Brief (Sept 8, 2017)
— Respondent’s Brief (August 9, 2017)
July 2015: Billboard campaign in fircrest and tacoma
Washington’s FLUORIDATION LAW:
- The State of Washington does not mandate fluoridation. Local governments control fluoridation policy in WA. Washington Revised Code § 57.08.012 states that any water district may fluoridate the water supply with a majority vote of its board of commissioners. The commissioners may submit a fluoride question to a referendum vote in an election, in which case the majority opinion becomes effective. To learn more about WA’s fluoridation laws, click here.
FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN Washington:
If you live in WA and want to get the fluoride out of your water contact Washington Action for Safe Water, FAN’s ally in Washington State: wasw@comcast.net
Washington COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:
| Community | Population |
Date |
| Forks | 4,000 | October 27, 2020 |
| Port Angeles | 19,038 | November 8, 2017 |
| Port Angeles | 19,200 | December 8, 2015 |
| Woodland | 5,625 | August 19, 2013 |
| Parkland | 35,800 | June 2013 |
| Skagit County | 116,900 | February 10, 2009 |
| Bellingham | 80,500 | November 8, 2005 |
| Snohomish | 9,000 | January 2005 |
| Milton | 6,800 | September 20, 2004 |
| Sumner | 9,000 | August 2, 2004 |
| Sequim | 6,000 | May 7, 2003 |
| Kennewick | 76,224 (as of 2011) |
January 15, 2002 |
| White Salmon | 2,266 (as of 2011) |
September 2001 |
| Goldendale | 3,471 (as of 2011) |
September 2001 |
| Spokane | 210,103 (as of 2011) |
November 7, 2000 |
| East Wenatchee | 13,375 (12 of 2011) |
November 7, 2000 |
| Olympia | 47,266 (as of 2011) |
December 15, 1999 |
| Bremerton | 39,051 (as of 2011) |
February 2, 1999 |
WASHINGTON WATER SYSTEMS WITH HIGH FLUORIDE LEVELS:
| Water Systems | County | Population | Fluoride (ppm) |
| Burbank Irrig Dist #4 | Walla Walla | 763 | 1.9 |
| Lind | Adams | 547 | 1.6 |
| Moxee City | Yakima | 857 | 1.5 |
| Odessa | Lincoln | 950 | 1.9 |
| Othello WD | Adams | 4,636 | 2.7 |
| Paterson | Benton | 90 | 2.0 |
| Plymouth | Benton | 190 | 2.3 |
| Information from CDC’s Fluoridation Census published in 1993. | |||
FLUORIDE POLLUTION SOURCES IN WASHINGTON:
In 2008, Washington ranked #32 out of 48 states for Hydrogen Fluoride releases (330,193 pounds). The following data comes from EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). “Total releases” includes both water and air pollution. It’s important to note, however, that not all industries or sources that release fluoride into the environment are included in the TRI.
| 2008 Releases (in pounds) |
Type of Industry | Name of Industry |
| 119,496 | Aluminum | ALCOA WENATCHEE WORKS. 6200 MALAGA HWY, MALAGA, Washington 98828 (CHELAN) |
| 87,900 | Aluminum | INTALCO ALUMINUM CORP. 4050 MOUNTAIN VIEW RD, FERNDALE, Washington 98248 (WHATCOM) |
| 72,095 | Coal-fired power plant | TRANSALTA CENTRALIA GENERATION / MINING. 913 BIG HANAFORD RD, CENTRALIA, Washington 98531 (LEWIS) |
| 22,409 | Stone/Clay/Glass | NEWCASTLE BRICK PLANT. 6620 COALCREEK PKWY SE, RENTON, Washington 98055 (KING) |
| 20,364 | Stone/Clay/Glass | MICA BRICK PLANT. 10627 S STATE RT 27, MICA, Washington 99023 (SPOKANE) |
| 4,009 | Transportation Equipment | GKN AEROSPACE CHEM-TRONICS INC THERMAL JOINING CENTER. 20231 72ND AVE S, KENT, Washington 98032 (KING) |
| 2,030 | Transportation Equipment | BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES – AUBURN. 700 15TH ST SW, AUBURN, Washington 98001 (KING) |
| 969 | Computers/Electronics | WAFERTECH LLC. 5509 NW PARKER ST, CAMAS, Washington 98607 (CLARK) |
| 462 | Petroleum | CONOCOPHILLIPS FERNDALE REFINERY. 3901 UNICK RD, FERNDALE, Washington 98248 (WHATCOM) |
| 330 | Computers/Electronics | LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORP. 4200 NW PACIFIC RIM BLVD, CAMAS, Washington 98607 (CLARK) |
| 132 | Computers/Electronics | SEH AMERICA INC. 4111 NE 112TH AVE, VANCOUVER, Washington 98682 (CLARK) |
| 60 | Fabricated Metals | BALL METAL BEVERAGE CONTAINER CORP. 27402 72ND AVE S, KENT, Washington 98032 (KING) |
| 55 | Primary Metals | SANDVIK SPECIAL METALS LLC. 235407 E SR397, KENNEWICK, Washington 99337 (BENTON) |
| 12 | Chemicals | AREVA NP. 2101 HORN RAPIDS RD, RICHLAND, Washington 99354 (BENTON) |
| 10 | Fabricated Metals | REXAM BEVERAGE CAN CO KENT WA FACILITY. 1220 N SECOND AVE, KENT, Washington 98032 (KING) |
Print 
PDF