San Marcos voters may be asked to decide an issue that dates back to the 1950s when some considered it a “Commie plot.” We’re talking about fluoridating our water supply. A San Marcos group just wrapped up a petition drive that could put the controversial issue on the November Ballot.
Tuesday night the San Marcos City Council will find out whether the city clerk will accept the petition as valid. But organizers of the petition drive believe they have more than enough signatures to get this item on the ballot.
San Marcos has been putting fluoride in its water to ward off tooth decay since 1987. But critics of fluoride submitted a petition to have the voters decide if the practice should continue. Kathleen O’Connell is with Communities for Thriving Water – Fluoride-Free San Marcos. She says, “We all grew up thinking it was good for our teeth and all. Turns out this stuff is hydrofluosilicic acid. It’s literally defined by the EPA as industrial waste.”
The ballot language would forbid San Marcos from adding fluoride to the water and also would forbid the city from buying any pre-fluoridated water. John Clack, assistant director of the city’s water and wastewater cautions, “If that’s part of the petition and what’s being asked then we would have to treat further to remove that portion also.”
Either way the water won’t be totally fluoride free. There is a small amount of naturally occurring fluoride in raw groundwater that would not be affected by the vote.
Read more about it:
Print 
PDF