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.

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)
    201663.9%
    2014:  63.9%
    201263.6%
    2006:  62.9%
    200057.8%
    199253.2%
  • 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 water systems adding fluoridation to their water.

Map of naturally occurring fluoride by county

Map of naturally occuring fluoride in WA water systems.

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:

department of health: documents released in august 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
billboard-small

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)