ATLANTIC BEACH — As part of its November consent agenda, the Atlantic Beach Town Council passed a resolution to discontinue fluoride treatment of town water.
The decision to stop treating the town’s water with fluoride is partly a result of ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the water treatment plant, according to Town Manager John O’Daniel.
The resolution itself notes, however, that community members have expressed concerns “regarding potential adverse health effects associated with fluoride consumption,” as well as the “numerous safety hazards” faced by water treatment plant operators who work on and handle the fluoride feed system.
In explaining the town’s decision to cease fluoride treatments, O’Daniel did not clarify what specific concerns were raised by community members, leaving unclear what perceived health risks are posed by the fluoride treatment.
Fluoride was introduced to public water supplies to prevent dental caries, typically within the recommended range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter. The lower end of that recommended range was recently lowered in the United States, as Americans have begun getting more fluoride from other sources like improved toothpastes.
The EPA additionally places a ceiling of 4.0 milligrams per liter on water fluoridation, as sustained consumption of this amount can, over time, lead to skeletal fluorosis, a condition where fluoride collects in bones and can lead to bone stiffness or weakness.
According to its 2024 water report, however, Atlantic Beach only reached a range of 0.55 to 0.59 milligrams per liter of fluoride in the town’s water, falling short of the lower end of the optimal range for water fluoridation.
O’Daniel did confirm that the chemical used to implement fluoride into the town’s water is toxic, stating, “the less they have to handle that type of material, the better.”
The decision comes after council members unanimously approved a preliminary engineer agreement with multidisciplinary engineering firm Rivers & Associates, Inc., at their August meeting, marking an early step to rehabilitate the town’s water treatment plant.
This agreement covered the first half of the project, including evaluation of alternative water treatment options, conducting a pilot study with a mini-treatment plant and submitting the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The first half will cost the town $373,000 and should take less than two years to complete.
Original article online at: https://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/article_c9505961-d72b-4ea7-b118-3c611545be6a.html