Alabama

WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:

• PERCENT OF PEOPLE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE FLUORIDATED:
  2018: 78.0% – ranked #24 among the states (100% fluoridated is ranked #1)
  2016: 78.0%
  2014: 78.6%
  2012: 78.4%
  2006: 82.9%
  2000: 89.2%
  1992: 82.6%
• To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
• To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.

LATEST NEWS:

• To see the latest news on fluoride developments in Alabama, click here.
• To see an updated list of Alabama professionals calling for an end to fluoridation, click here.

ALABAMA FLUORIDE DATA FOR EACH WATER SYSTEM

• 2020: Levels of Fluoride in the State’s Drinking Water and Fluoridation Status. 10 Public Water Systems with fluoride levels over 0.71 ppm.

It is illegal for any Public Water System to deliver drinking water with fluoride concentrations higher than 2.0 ppm, which is still exceedingly high. Water departments deal with this issue by using filter systems to reduce the high levels of fluoride, in some cases blending with water supplies that have lower levels, or the abandonment of the water supply.

To find out the fluoride levels in your drinking water, contact your local water department. You can also go online to CDC’s My Water’s Fluoride.

1969 Natural Fluoride Content of Community Water Supplies – Online here

“A survey to determine the number and location of community water supplies contain­ing dentally significant concentrations of naturally occurring fluorides was made in early 1969 by the State Dental Directors at the request of the U.S. Public Health Service. This publication presents the results of this survey and serves to update a similar document published in 1959.¹ The 1959 publication included all communities reporting at least one water source with a natural fluoride concentration of 0. 7 parts per million (ppm) 2 or higher. This publication differs in that it lists all communities whose water supplies were reported to have a natural fluoride concentration of 0. 7 ppm or more regardless of the concentration of the various sources of water. This sur­vey attempted to identify public water systems in the United States which naturally contain the minimum fluoride concentration recommended by the Public Health Serv­ice as optimal for protection against dental caries.
“The optimum concentration of fluorides in community water supplies depends upon the annual average of maximum daily air temperatures in the individual community . According to Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards, 1962, the recommended concentrations are shown in Table 1…”

Alabama’s FLUORIDATION LAW:

• The State of Alabama does not mandate fluoridation, or have any statutes regulating the additive.  The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is the regulatory agency, which provides monitoring, guidance, technical assistance, and promotion of fluoridation.  Local governments control fluoridation policy in AL.  City councils can begin or discontinue fluoridation at their discretion, or by a referendum vote.  If a community began fluoridation with a referendum vote, then they must also hold a referendum to discontinue the practice.  Every community’s fluoridation ordinance is unique.  To learn more about these fluoridation ordinances, click here.

DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:

• 2007. Dental Screenings by % W/Decay. In order by Dental District and % W/Decay. 2006-2007. Note: 7,643 students were screened at 103 schools. No mention of dental fluorosis.
• 2012. The Oral Health of Alabama’s Children, 2010-2012. No mention of dental fluorosis.
• 2013. The Oral Health of Alabama’s Kindergarten and Third Grade Children Compared to the General U.S. Population and Healthy People 2020 Targets. Alabama Department of Public Health Data Brief February. No mention of dental fluorosis.

FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN ALABAMA:

If you live in AL and want to get the fluoride out of your water contact Stuart Cooper, FAN’s campaign coordinator.

ALABAMA COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:

Alabama Water Systems with High Fluoride Levels: