Iowa

WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:

• PERCENT OF PEOPLE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE FLUORIDATED:
  2021: 89.65% (2.3 million Iowans)
  2018:  90.3% – ranked #14 among the states (100% fluoridated is ranked #1)
  2016:  90.3%
  2014:  92.7%
  2012:  92.0%
  2006:  92.4%
  2000:  91.3%
  1992:  91.4%
• To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
• To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.

IOWA FLUORIDE DATA FOR EACH WATER SYSTEM

2020: Levels of Fluoride in the State’s Drinking Water and Fluoridation Status: 191 Public Water Systems with fluoride levels over 0.71 ppm.

• 126 public water systems over 1.0 ppm
• 65 over 0.7 ppm to 1.0 ppm

LATEST NEWS:

2025: Assessing fluoride concentrations in Iowa’s groundwater and drinking water: implications for public health and water management.

“Approximately 69% of untreated raw source groundwater samples fell below the recommended 0.7 mg L^–1, while 7% exceeded the secondary MCL of 2 mg L^-1.”

To see the latest news on fluoride developments in Iowa, click here.

• • To see an updated list of Iowa’s professionals calling for an end to fluoridation, click here.
• • Report: Iowa’s 2018 Report on Community Water Fluoridation, Iowa Department of Health, published April 2019.

SEE PAGES 4 – 30 for a list of each water system alphabetically by county, the fluoridation status, the size of population served, and the average fluoride concentration for 2018. This list only identifies public water supplies and not private wells.

“Of the Iowa residents served by a community water system, 90.2 percent received fluoridated water. However, IDPH can only verify that 69.9 percent of that 90.2 percent received optimal (0.6-1.2 mg/L) fluoridated water on a daily basis, due to the fact that not all adjusted water systems add the appropriate daily amount of fluoride to stay within optimal range and/or the water system is not within optimal range for at least nine months of the year.”

IOWA’S FLUORIDATION LAW:

The State of Iowa does not mandate fluoridation.  Local governments control fluoridation policy in IA.  City councils can begin or discontinue fluoridation at their discretion, or by a referendum vote.  Each community’s fluoridation ordinance is unique.  To learn more about these fluoridation ordinances, click here.

DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:

• 2006. Oral Health Survey Report: FY06. Report prepared by Tracy Rogers and Xia Chen. Iowa Department of Public Health, Oral Health Bureau. No mention of dental fluorosis.
• 2009. Third Grade Open Mouth Survey Report. Iowa Department of Public Health, Oral Health Bureau. No mention of dental fluorosis.

FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN IOWA:

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

IOWA COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:

IOWA WATER SYSTEMS WITH HIGH FLUORIDE LEVELS:

FLUORIDE POLLUTION SOURCES IN IOWA:

In 2008, Iowa ranked #19 out of 48 states for Hydrogen Fluoride releases (1,122,463 pounds) into the environment. 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.