The public water supply in the US has been treated with fluoride for decades. Water fluoridation at optimal levels is believed to improve tooth health and prevent dental fluorosis. However, municipal water or tap water contains an excess amount of fluoride, actually causing more harm and good.
A 2006 review revealed that tap water with fluoride increased the risk of dental problems and bone fractures. Moreover, excessive fluoride exposure also leads to skeletal fluorosis, neurological issues, thyroid problems, skin irritation, and acne. [Source: Medical News Today]
This is why most households in the US now opt for bottled water. However, most people don’t know that most processed drinking water contains fluoride. But what about Primo Water? Primo Water is the most popular drinking water in the US. Does primo water have fluoride?
Continue reading to find out!
Here is a quick breakdown of everything we will cover in this article:
About Primo Water
Primo Water is a renowned water solutions company that has been providing purified drinking water to customers for decades. The company prides itself in delivering high-quality drinking water free from contaminants, bacteria, and odor. The water is also mineralized for better taste.
Primo water is processed through a multi-step method, including filtration, sterilization, sanitization, reverse osmosis, softening, ozonation, ionization, and mineralization. All of these steps combined produce 99.9% clean and great-tasting mineral water.
Now one would think that there shouldn’t be any fluoride in the water by the end of this purification process. So, is there? Does primo water have fluoride?
Does Primo Water Have Fluoride?
According to the official Primo Water Quality Report, no fluoride is present in primo water. The report clearly states that fluoride is not detected during testing, meaning it is less than 0.1 ppm fluoride levels. This classifies primo water as fluoride free.
However, some people have run at-home fluoride tests on primo water, and those results are quite shocking. According to a simple fluoride meter, the fluoride level in primo water is 0.6 ppm. Note that this does not mean that primo water has excessive fluoride. 0.6 ppm of fluoride is a very low quantity.
How Much Fluoride Is Safe?
According to research by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), fluoride plays no basic function in our growth and development. Only trace amounts of fluoride are beneficial to the human body, primarily related to improving dental hygiene. Excessive or regular exposure and fluoride consumption can cause toxicity, leading to serious health risks.
Thus, there is no need for humans to put fluoride in their bodies. So, when it comes to the quantity of fluoride in drinking water, ideally, there should be none. However, the FDA Standard Of Quality (SOQ) for fluoride in mineral water is 1.3 ppm.
Even as per WHO, the standard rate of fluoride in drinking water is 0.5 to 1 ppm. So, 0.6 ppm of fluoride is still pretty low, making it a safe and acceptable quantity. This means primo water has negligible fluoride content and can be considered fluoride free.
The only problem is that based on the above information, it is safe to assume that the primo water quality report may not be 100% accurate. We can’t completely rely on at-home tests because they are often inaccurate.
Nonetheless, either way, primo water does not have fluoride levels that could be harmful. Overall, primo water is a safe and healthy choice to drink. There have been no negative reports by customers about the quality of primo water. If you are not 100% convinced, it is best to test the water yourself before choosing it.
Is Primo Water Good Quality?
To assess water quality, you have to consider factors like acidity, purity, and hardness. Primo water is highly purified and contains no hard minerals or metals. Carbon filtration and reverse osmosis give 99.99% pure drinking water.
The ideal pH level of drinking water should be 7 or neutral, but 6.5 to 8.5 is acceptable. However, the primo water pH level is 6.28, making primo water slightly acidic. Don’t worry; primo water is still safe to drink because it is not acidic enough to be dangerous to the human body. Since primo water has a decent pH level, no hardeners, and is highly pure and mineralized, it is a good quality drinking water.
Brands With Fluoride Free Bottled Water
Apart from Primo Water, many other brands have fluoride-free bottled drinking water. Here are the three best ones:
- Evian: Evian is known for its premium quality spring water.
- Fiji: Fiji is great-tasting premium water with electrolytes.
- Aquafina: Aquafina gives pure and crisp mineral water.
Final Words
Most water companies are selling unfiltered tap water to their customers. Such drinking water has extremely high levels of fluoride, which can harm the human body in the long run. Primo Water, the no. 1 choice of consumers, claims that no fluoride is present or detected in their water during testing.
While this may not be entirely true, the small quantity of fluoride in primo water (0.6 ppm) detected by the fluoride test kit is negligible. Thus, primo water is considered fluoride-free and safe to drink.