Fluoride
We don't add fluoride to our drinking water, but there may be a small amount of naturally occurring fluoride in your water.
Do we add fluoride to our drinking water?
No. We don't add fluoride to our drinking water and never have done.
Why is fluoride added to water in other areas of the UK?
In some parts of the UK, hexafluorosilicic acid is added to the water to artificially increase the level of fluoride in the drinking water to help improve dental health.
Why can fluoride be found in drinking water?
There may be a very small amount of fluoride as it occurs naturally in rocks and soils. As water moves through the rocks and soils a little bit of fluoride can enter the water. This naturally occurring fluoride is not removed by the processes we use to treat the water.
Your tap water will contain low levels of natural fluoride. These levels are well below the drinking water standard of maximum 1.5 mg/l (milligrams per litre or parts per million). The chart below shows the annual average and maximum levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water we supply.
Who decides if fluoride should be added to the water supply?
The Secretary of State is responsible for the decision to artificially add fluoride to the drinking water.
If you would like further information about this process, please contact the UK Heath and Security Agency (UK HSA). At the moment, we are not aware of any plans to add fluoride to the water that we supply.