“Fluoride levels will be lowered from approximately 0.7 milligrams per liter to 0.4 milligrams per liter at its Ashburton and Montebello filtration plants,” the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) said in a statement.
“There are no required minimum fluoride levels. Drinking water will remain safe and meet all federal and state water quality standards. This reduction does not affect the overall safety or quality of the water as fluoride is not regulatory required additive.”
The department cited “broader national supply chain disruptions, driven in part by ongoing conflict in the Middle East” as reason for this measure.
As the Associated Press reported, Israel is a top exporter of fluorosilicic acid, the additive commonly used for municipal water fluoridation in the U.S.
There is no federal requirement regarding water fluoridation though the U.S. Public Health Service makes recommendation on what concentration municipalities should aim for. The current recommendation is 0.7 mg/L.
“This is an adjustment driven solely by supply availability,” DPW Director Matthew Garbark said in a statement. “We remain committed to providing safe, high-quality drinking water.”
