Fluoride in Spring Hill, TN
Spring Hill straddles two counties and two source waters — and has two opposite fluoride answers. Most homes get unfluoridated Duck River water; one Williamson-side district gets fluoridated Cumberland River water.
Spring Hill is split. Most homes — on Spring Hill Water Department, Columbia Power & Water, or Maury County water — get Duck River water that is not fluoridated: both systems discontinued fluoridation, in 2011 and 2013. Williamson-side H.B. & T.S. homes get fluoridated HVUD water at 0.53 mg/L average.
How this page works: the statuses below come from the cities’ own documents — Spring Hill’s 2011 discontinuation resolution and its own water quality reports, Columbia’s documented 2013 board vote, and Harpeth Valley’s published report — not from a marketing claim or a guess. New to the topic? Start with our full fluoride guide.
Water quality in Spring Hill
Curious about your tap water? Tennessee Water Authority has the full Spring Hill water quality guide — contaminant data, utility details, and filter recommendations.
Spring Hill’s fluoride, by utility
Everything on this page traces back to these facts, from each utility’s own published water quality report.
STATUS Duck River side — NOT fluoridated
Spring Hill discontinued fluoridation by Resolution 11-76, passed August 15, 2011. Its wholesale supplier, Columbia Power & Water, discontinued on September 25, 2013 (3–2 board vote). Maury County Water System buys Columbia water — same unfluoridated supply.
LEVEL Spring Hill WD — natural fluoride only
0.011 mg/L average
2018 Water Quality Report. The report’s own words: “Spring Hill or CP&WS no longer fluoridates. Value is natural fluoride present.” Earlier reports agree: 0.016 mg/L (2013), 0.013 mg/L (2014). This is trace natural background — not a fluoridation level.
LEVEL H.B. & T.S. (HVUD water) — fluoridated
0.53 mg/L average
Range 0.25–0.65 mg/L, Harpeth Valley UD 2025/26 report. Below the CDC recommended 0.7 mg/L — stated plainly. This is the Williamson County side’s water: Cumberland River, via HVUD.
UTILITY Five utilities serve Spring Hill
Spring Hill WD (TN0000667, ~60,893 served) · Columbia Power & Water (TN0000128, ~78,630) · Maury County WS (TN0000770, ~23,118, buys Columbia water) · Marshall County BPU (TN0000105, ~12,627 — figure not verified) · H.B. & T.S. UD (TN0000699, ~37,803).
SOURCE Two rivers, two answers
Four of the five systems run on the Duck River. H.B. & T.S. is the exception — Cumberland River water via Harpeth Valley UD — and it is the only fluoridated supply in Spring Hill.
How Spring Hill’s levels compare
Spring Hill’s table looks different from most cities’ — because for most of the city there is no fluoridation level to list. Here is the split, next to the three benchmarks that matter, each labeled for exactly what it is.
| Benchmark | Level | How Spring Hill compares |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill WD — natural fluoride only, 2018 | 0.011 mg/L avg | Not fluoridated — discontinued August 15, 2011. This is trace natural background, roughly one-sixtieth of the CDC recommended level. |
| Columbia Power & Water / Maury County | Not fluoridated — no level | Discontinued September 25, 2013. EWG (2021–2023) lists fluoride as tested for but not detected in CPWS water; Maury County buys CPWS water. |
| Marshall County BPU | No verified figure | Purchases Duck River water, but its supplier chain and fluoride figure could not be verified — so none is published, and Columbia’s status is not assigned to it. |
| H.B. & T.S. (HVUD water), 2025/26 | 0.53 mg/L avg | Range 0.25–0.65 mg/L. Fluoridated — and below the CDC recommended level, stated plainly. |
| CDC recommended level | 0.7 mg/L | No Spring Hill supply reaches it: the Duck River side is unfluoridated, and HVUD water runs below it at roughly three-quarters. |
| EPA secondary (non-enforceable) standard | 2.0 mg/L | Every Spring Hill figure is far below this guideline, which is aimed at preventing cosmetic effects like tooth discoloration. |
| EPA enforceable maximum contaminant level (MCL) | 4.0 mg/L | Every Spring Hill figure is far below the legal limit. |
Spring Hill’s natural-fluoride readings are consistent across its own reports — 0.016 mg/L average (2013), 0.013 (2014), 0.011 (2018) — each printed beside the note that the city no longer fluoridates. The 2018 report’s range is garbled in the PDF text layer, so no range is published here.
Spring Hill straddles two counties — and two fluoride answers
The Maury County side and most of the city run on unfluoridated Duck River water. Williamson County addresses on H.B. & T.S. get fluoridated Cumberland River water at 0.53 mg/L average. Same city, same ZIP codes in places — completely different fluoride picture. Check your water bill for your utility’s name before assuming either answer is yours.
Do you still need fluoride toothpaste?
Yes — and this is the point people most often get backwards.
On most of Spring Hill, there is no background layer at all: the Duck River systems do not add fluoride, and the natural level is a trace (0.011 mg/L average). That makes fluoride toothpaste the whole defense — brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, because nothing in the tap water is helping between brushings.
On the H.B. & T.S. side, the water is fluoridated at 0.53 mg/L — but that is still background exposure, a low all-day level. Toothpaste delivers the concentrated dose directly onto the enamel, and it stays the main event there too.
Fluoride and kids: the amounts matter
Young children swallow toothpaste, so the ADA’s guidance is about using the right small amount — not about avoiding fluoride toothpaste.
UNDER 3 A rice-grain smear
For children under age 3, use a smear of fluoride toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice. That tiny amount is deliberate — it protects the teeth while keeping what gets swallowed to a minimum.
AGES 3+ A pea-size amount
From age 3 up, a pea-size amount is enough. A ribbon of paste running the length of the brush is several times more than a child needs.
- Supervise brushing. An adult should be watching (and helping) until a child can reliably spit and rinse on their own.
- Teach spitting, not swallowing. Spit the toothpaste out when done; swallowing it as a habit is what the small amounts are designed to guard against.
- Don’t load the brush. More paste does not mean cleaner teeth — it mostly means more swallowed.
What about fluoride varnish at the dentist?
An in-office fluoride treatment or varnish is a much stronger, targeted dose than anything in tap water or toothpaste.
For the majority of Spring Hill — on unfluoridated Duck River water — varnish is genuinely worth discussing, especially for kids and anyone cavity-prone: with no fluoride in the water, an in-office treatment is one of the few concentrated fluoride sources beyond toothpaste. Ask your dentist to walk you through your family’s cavity risk and explain the recommendation either way.
On the H.B. & T.S. side at 0.53 mg/L — below the CDC recommended level — varnish likewise remains worthwhile for kids and higher-risk adults. And for children on unfluoridated water, fluoride supplements are a question for a dentist or pediatrician — never a guess to make on your own.
On a private well? None of this applies automatically
Well water is not fluoridated by any utility
Nobody adjusts the fluoride in a private well — or tests it, unless you do. Well water may carry naturally occurring fluoride, almost none, or more than you’d expect, and taste won’t tell you. This matters across Williamson and Maury Counties, where a home can be minutes from a city main and not connected to it. Test your well water before assuming what’s in it, and tell your dentist you’re on well water so your fluoride plan is built on your actual water, not the city’s.
How to confirm Spring Hill’s level yourself
Don’t take our word for it — the primary sources are public.
- Read the primary documents. Spring Hill’s Resolution 11-76 (2011) discontinued fluoridation, and its 2018 Water Quality Report states “Spring Hill or CP&WS no longer fluoridates” beside a natural fluoride average of 0.011 mg/L.
- Check CDC’s My Water’s Fluoride. The CDC’s system-by-system tracker at nccd.cdc.gov/DOH_MWF lists fluoridation status for community water systems, including Spring Hill Water Dept. (TN0000667) and H.B. & T.S. UD (TN0000699).
- Check whose name is on your bill. Spring Hill WD, Columbia Power & Water, and Maury County all mean unfluoridated Duck River water. H.B. & T.S. means fluoridated HVUD water at 0.53 mg/L average. The name on the bill decides which half of this page is yours.
For the bigger picture — how fluoridation works, the arguments on both sides, and how to think about filters — see our full fluoride guide.
Questions people actually ask
Asked the way people actually ask them — answered from the sources cited below.
For most Spring Hill homes, no. Spring Hill Water Department water is not fluoridated — the city voted to discontinue fluoridation on August 15, 2011 (Resolution 11-76), and its water quality reports state plainly that Spring Hill no longer fluoridates; the only fluoride present is natural, averaging 0.011 mg/L in 2018. Columbia Power & Water, which supplies Spring Hill wholesale, discontinued fluoridation on September 25, 2013. The exception is the Williamson County side served by H.B. & T.S. Utility District, whose water is fluoridated Harpeth Valley water averaging 0.53 mg/L.
It depends entirely on your utility. Spring Hill Water Department, Columbia Power & Water, and Maury County Water System customers get unfluoridated Duck River water — Spring Hill's own reports measure only natural fluoride, averaging 0.011 mg/L (2018). H.B. & T.S. customers get fluoridated water averaging 0.53 mg/L (range 0.25–0.65 mg/L). Marshall County BPU purchases Duck River water, but we could not verify its supplier chain or a fluoride figure for it, so it gets no number here.
Spring Hill stopped first: its Board of Mayor and Aldermen passed Resolution 11-76 on August 15, 2011, discontinuing fluoridation once the existing supply was used up, and the city's own 2013, 2014, and 2018 water quality reports confirm it — each carries a trace natural fluoride average (0.016, 0.013, and 0.011 mg/L) beside a note that Spring Hill no longer fluoridates. Columbia Power & Water followed: its Board of Public Utilities voted 3–2 on September 25, 2013 to discontinue fluoridation, and EWG's 2021–2023 data lists fluoride as tested for but not detected in CPWS water. A 2014 Maury County Board of Health request to restore fluoride was not adopted.
Yes — here it matters even more. With unfluoridated Duck River water, there is no background fluoride layer at all, so fluoride toothpaste carries the full load. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Even on the fluoridated H.B. & T.S. side at 0.53 mg/L, toothpaste remains the main event: water is background exposure, while toothpaste delivers the concentrated dose directly to the enamel.
The ADA's guidance: for children under age 3, use a smear of fluoride toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice. For ages 3 and up, a pea-size amount is enough. Supervise brushing, teach your child to spit the toothpaste out rather than swallow it, and remember that more paste on the brush does not mean cleaner teeth — the small amounts are deliberate, because young kids swallow some no matter what.
For most Spring Hill families, yes — because most Spring Hill water is not fluoridated at all. An in-office fluoride treatment or varnish puts a strong, targeted dose directly on the teeth, and it is worthwhile for kids and for adults at higher cavity risk — people with recent cavities, dry mouth, braces, or exposed roots. On the H.B. & T.S. side (0.53 mg/L, below the CDC recommended level) it also remains worthwhile for the cavity-prone. If your cavity risk is low, ask your dentist to explain your risk either way rather than accepting or skipping it on autopilot. Fluoride supplements are a separate question — ask a dentist or pediatrician, especially for children on unfluoridated water.
Check the name carefully, because Spring Hill is split. Columbia Power & Water and Maury County Water System bills mean unfluoridated Duck River water, the same as the city system. An H.B. & T.S. Utility District bill means fluoridated Cumberland River water via Harpeth Valley, averaging 0.53 mg/L. A Marshall County BPU bill means purchased Duck River water whose fluoride figure we could not verify. The utility on your bill — not your Spring Hill address — decides which part of this page is yours.
No utility fluoridates private well water — nobody adjusts it at all. Well water can contain some naturally occurring fluoride, a lot, or almost none, and you cannot tell by taste. If your home is on a well in Williamson or Maury County, have the water tested before assuming anything about its fluoride level, and tell your dentist you are on well water so your fluoride plan reflects it.
Start with the documents: Spring Hill's Resolution 11-76 (2011) and its water quality reports state the discontinuation in the city's own words, and Columbia Power & Water's 2013 board vote is a matter of public record. You can also check CDC's My Water's Fluoride, which tracks fluoridation status by water system. If your bill names H.B. & T.S., Harpeth Valley UD's current report carries the 0.53 mg/L average for the water it supplies.
Sources & method
- City of Spring Hill, Resolution 11-76 — passed August 15, 2011, discontinuing fluoridation of the city water supply upon depletion of the current supply; springhilltn.org/DocumentCenter/View/14987/Resolution-11-76-to-discontinue-fluoridation-of-water.
- City of Spring Hill, Water Quality Report 2018 — fluoride 0.011 ppm average, note “Spring Hill or CP&WS no longer fluoridates. Value is natural fluoride present.”; system TN0000667; springhilltn.org/DocumentCenter/View/5167/2018-Water-Quality-Report.
- City of Spring Hill, Water Quality Reports 2013 & 2014 — fluoride averages of 0.016 and 0.013 ppm, each with the note “Spring Hill no longer fluoridates.”
- Columbia Power & Water System fluoridation discontinuation, September 25, 2013 — Board of Public Utilities vote of 3–2, documented in contemporaneous Columbia Herald coverage archived by the Fluoride Action Network and corroborated by EWG’s 2021–2023 record (fluoride tested for, not detected) for TN0000128 — as verified in this site’s Columbia research, 2026-10-21.
- Harpeth Valley Utility District, CCR 2025/26 — fluoride 0.53 mg/L average, range 0.25–0.65 mg/L; system TN0000286 (H.B. & T.S. UD, TN0000699, delivers HVUD-treated water).
- U.S. EPA, WIFIA — Columbia Long Term Water Supply Program — CPWS’s two major wholesale customers are the City of Spring Hill and Maury County Water System.
- Tennessee Water Authority, Spring Hill water quality guide — five-utility structure, PWSIDs, purchasing relationships, and served populations; tennesseewaterauthority.com/spring-hill-tn-water-quality-guide.
- CDC — recommended fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L for community water systems; fluoridation status and levels are also tracked in CDC’s My Water’s Fluoride.
- EPA — enforceable maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 4.0 mg/L and secondary (non-enforceable) standard of 2.0 mg/L for fluoride in drinking water.
- American Dental Association (ADA) — children’s toothpaste amounts: a rice-grain smear under age 3, a pea-size amount at ages 3 and up, with supervised brushing.
Method in one line: Spring Hill’s split is documented in primary sources — the city’s own 2011 discontinuation resolution and water quality reports for the Duck River side, Columbia’s documented 2013 board vote for its purchasers, and Harpeth Valley’s own report for the H.B. & T.S. side. Marshall County’s figure could not be verified, so none is published for it. We never name, rank, or recommend private dental practices.