Brockton officials have taken the first steps towards fluoridating the city’s drinking water.

In the early 1970s, the City Council voted down a measure that would have added fluoride to the water supply.

The Finance Committee recently met with One Smile Brockton and the city’s board of health to discuss the subject and talk about the benefits of fluoride, which reduces tooth decay and can prevent cavities.

“It was better for young children because it protected their teeth. In particularly in low-income communities you find a lot of individuals with dental problems,” Ward 5 City Councilor Ann Beauregard said.

“This impairs their speech, could cause other illnesses and for young children who miss school and that further increases [their] challenges.”

If approved, the city’s three main water sources; Silver Lake, the water desalination plant in Dighton and the Avon reservoir, would need to be equipped to add the chemical.

According to Beauregard, adding fluoride would not come at a cost to the city.

“We were also informed that it would not cost the city to provide the initial installation because the funding would come from the Department of Public Health. After that, there were grants available,” said Beauregard.

The Board of Health is working to secure more information for the city council on implementing a water fluoridation program.

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