Baltimore cuts flouride levels amid shortage caused by Iran war

Source: The Hill

04/13/26 5:05 PM ET


The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) announced Monday that it will be temporarily reducing the amount of fluoride in its municipal water beginning this week due to national supply disruptions brought on by the war in Iran.

“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. 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 DPW said in a statement.

The department cited “broader national supply chain disruptions, driven in part by ongoing conflict in the Middle East” as reason for this measure. “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.”

Fluoride is added to municipal water systems to help prevent tooth decay. About three quarters of the U.S. population lives in areas where the water supply is fluoridated. 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.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5829323-baltimore-fluoride-reduction-water/