Town officials plan to hold public hearings early in the new year to discuss adding fluoride to Ashland’s public water supply, which is drawn from the Hopkinton reservoir. “We want to offer public hearings for those in favor and against it,” allowing the Board of Health to take all sides into consideration, said the town’s health agent, Mark Oram. Proponents, including the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which provides fluoridated water to communities across Eastern Massachusetts, say the additive helps prevent tooth decay. Opponents say fluoridation carries health risks, including an increased risk of cancer. Times and dates of the hearings will be posted on the Town Hall information board, as well as on the town’s meeting calendar online at ashlandmass.com. For more information, call the Board of Health at 508-881-0100, ext. 681.

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