State Fluoride Database

Read the latest fluoride news from your state; find out if your town is fluoridated, see if any communities have recently rejected fluoridation, learn if your state has a law that mandates fluoridation, and other fluoride-related information.

Maine

WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:

  • PERCENT OF PEOPLE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE FLUORIDATED:
    2018:  79.3% – ranked #23 among the states (100% fluoridated is ranked #1)
    201679.3%
    2014:  79.1%
    201279.4%
    200679.6%
    200055.8%
    199275.4%
  • To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
  • To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.

MAINE FLUORIDE DATA FOR EACH WATER SYSTEM

• 2020: Levels of Fluoride in the State’s Drinking Water and Fluoridation Status.

  • No Public Water System with fluoride levels over 0.71 ppm.
    NOTE:
    According to a 2014 article in Scientific American, “the majority of the state… rely on private wells for the water they drink… newly available data … indicates that in some 10 communities in the state wells harbor dangerously high levels of fluoride. In some cases, the wells contain more than double the level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has deemed the acceptable maximum exposure level…”

For a quick overview, Michael Dolan, in his November 2021 Fluoridation Review, listed these cities and towns in Maine:

The following list of fluoridated cities and towns was obtained from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services website, dated June 2013.

Fluoridated cities and towns: Anson, Ashland, Auburn, Augusta, Baileyville, Bangor, Bar Harbor, Bath, Belfast, Benton, Berwick, Bethel, Biddeford, Biddeford Pool, Blaine, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Bradley, Brewer, Bridgton, Brunswick, Bucksport, Camden, Cape Elizabeth, Caribou, Chelsea, Clifton, Cumberland, Damariscotta, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Dixfield, Eagle Lake, East Millinocket, Eastport, Eddington, Ellsworth, Embden, Fairfield, Falmouth, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Freeport, Fryeburg, Gardiner, Gorham, Greening Island, Guilford, Hampden, Hartland, Hermon, Holden, Houlton, Hulls Cove, Indian Island, Lewiston, Limestone, Lubec, Machias, Madawaska, Madison, Manchester, Mars Hill, Mechanic Falls, Medway, Mexico, Milford, Millinocket, Monmouth, Newcastle, Newport, Northport, Norway, Oakland, Old Orchard Beach, Old Town, Orono, Orrington, Owls Head, Pittsfield, Pittston, Pleasant Point, Portland, Presque Isle, Randolph, Raymond, Rockland, Rockport, Rumford, Saco, Salisbury Cove, Sanford, Sangerville, Scarborough (Pine Point), Scarborough, Skowhegan, Southport, South Freeport, South Gardiner, South Portland, Springvale, Standish, Thomaston, Topsham, Van Buren, Vassalboro, Veazie, Washburn, Waterville, West Bath, Westbrook, Westfield, Windham, Winslow, Winterport, Winthrop, Wiscasset, Woolwich, York.

Non-fluoridated cities and towns: Acton, Addison, Albion, Alfred, Appleton, Arundel, Athens, Baldwin, Belgrade, Blue Hill, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Bradford, Bristol, Brooks, Brownfield, Brownville, Burnham, Buxton, Calais, Canaan, Carmel, Casco, Castine, Charleston, Cherryfield, Chesterville, China, Clinton, Corinth, Cornish, Cornville, Cushing, Dayton, Dedham, Denmark, Dixmont, Dresden, Durham, East Machias, Easton, Edgecomb, Eliot, Enfield, Etna, Exeter, Farmington, Fayette, Frankfort, Franklin, Frenchville, Friendship, Garland, Georetown, Glenburn, Gouldsboro, Gray, Greenbush, Greene, Greenville, Hallowell, Hancock, Harpswell, Harrison, Hartford, Hebron, Hiram, Hodgon, Hollis, Hope, Howland, Jay, Hudson, Jefferson, Jonesport, Kenduskeag, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Lamoine, Lebanon, Leeds, Levant, Limerick, Limington, Lincoln, Lincolnville, Lisbon, Litchfield, Littleton, Livermore, Livermore Falls, Lovell, Lyman, Machias, Machiasport, Mapleton, Milbridge, Milo, Minot, Montville, Mount Desert, Mount Vernon, Naples, New Gloucester, New Sharon, Newburgh, Newfield, Nobleboro, Norridgewock, North Berwick, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Orland, Otisfield, Oxford, Palermo, Paris, Parsonfield, Penobscot, Peru, Phillips, Phippsburg, Plymouth, Poland, Porter, Pownal, Rangeley, Readfield, Richmond, St. George, Sabattus, Searsmont, Searsport, Sebago, Sedgwick, Shapleigh, Sidney, Solon, South Berwick, South Thomaston, Southwest Harbor, Stetson, Steuben, Stockton Springs, Stonington, Strong, Sullivan, Surry, Swanville, Tremont, Trenton, Troy, Turner, Union, Unity, Vinalhaven, Wales, Washington, Waterford, Waterboro, Wayne, Wells, West Gardiner, West Paris, Whitefield, Wilton, Windsor, Woodland, Woodstock, Yarmouth, and over 150 smaller towns with fewer than 1,000 residents each.

important facts:

  • January 29, 2019: Cave Hill School in Franklin notifies parents of high fluoride levels:The water provided by the school currently has a fluoride concentration of 3.4 mg/L.
  • August 20,2014: Good article on the high fluoride levels throughout Maine: Is Fluoride in Private Wells Causing an IQ Decline? (August 20, 2014)
  • October 1981 – Jonesboro:  57 students, teachers and principal are taken to hospital after an accident with school fluoridation equipment. 38 are administered regurgitants to make them vomit the fluoride, and milk to counteract the poison. Two are admitted to the hospital for several hours for fast heartbeat. Other symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting. On December 1, 1981, Jonesboro citizens vote 43-2 not to reinstate fluoridation at the school, and to charge the Dept. of Human Services for the emergency room bill of $1,137.24. (SOURCE: Bevis 1981 | The Maine Paper 1981, Bangor Daily News (10/7/81), Portland Press Herald (10/8/81))
  • MAY 1979 – Island Falls: Fluoride machine allows extra fluoride into water system while motor head is being changed. “The exact water fluoride level was not ascertained although a water sample at a manufacturing plant was greater than 10 ppm.” 5 people suffer gastrointestinal illness.” (SOURCE: Bevis 1981)

LATEST NEWS:

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

Maine’s FLUORIDATION LAW:

  • Maine statute states that no public water system can add fluoride to its water supply without written approval from the ME Department of Health and Human Services.  Prior to fluoridation, a referendum vote must be held and the majority opinion shall remain in place for at least two years before the question can be raised again by referendum.  To learn more about this law, click here.

DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:

  • 2007. Maine Oral Health Improvement Plan. Published by the Maine Dental Access Coalition. November. No mention of dental fluorosis.
  • 2013. Oral Health in Maine. By Feinstein J, Gradie MI, Huston S, Mervis C, Ghouri, F, Nazare S, et al. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an office of the Department of Health and Human Service. January. No mention of dental fluorosis

FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN Maine:

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

Maine COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:

Community Population Date
Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District 30,000
(seasonally up to100,000)
Nov 8, 2016
Southwest Harbor 2,000 May 7, 2013
Jackman 690 November 4, 2008
Moose River 200 November 4, 2008
Mt Desert Water District March 5, 2007
Lincoln 5,225 November 7, 2006
Norridgewock 3,367
(as of 2010)
May 5, 2001

FLUORIDE POLLUTION SOURCES IN MAINE:

In 2008, Maine ranked #46 out of 48 states for Hydrogen Fluoride releases (3,579 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.

2008 Releases
(in pounds)
Type of Industry Name of Industry
2,255 Computers/Electronics NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORP. 5 FODEN RD, SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine 04106 (CUMBERLAND)
1,324 Computers/Electronics FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORP. 333 WESTERN AVE, SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine 04106 (CUMBERLAND)