BUDA, Texas (KXAN) – People living in Buda have the chance to decide whether or not they want the city to put fluoride back into the city’s water supply.

The city of Buda receives its water from the San Marcos treatment plant. In 2015 residents in San Marcos voted to remove fluoride from their water, ultimately removing the fluoride in Buda’s water as well.

Late last year, the city of Buda said it would fluoridate the water once again, but received backlash from the community pushing the city to put the proposition up to a vote.

On the ballot, the proposition reads: “Shall the Code of Ordinances of the City of Buda, Texas be amended to adopt an ordinance resuming the use of fluoride additives within the allowable level as recommended and regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the City of Buda municipal potable water supply?”

Early voting for the November elections started Monday morning. Outside Buda’s City Hall, a tent was set up with residents hoping to persuade people to vote against the proposition.

“We are here to ask the citizens to stand up and say we don’t want this, we don’t need this,” said Michael Meuth with Buda Citizens for Safe Water.

Meuth says he is concerned about the added fluoride causing health issues, and says he hasn’t consumed fluoride in 17 years.

“I have a family and we have never consumed fluoride in our water and honestly we haven’t even used fluoridated toothpaste and my children have had one cavity out of all three of them only one has had one small cavity. So, it’s not something I see that we should ingest,” said Meuth. “The negative consequences that come with this far outweigh the potential good.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities by about 25 percent in children and adults.

Residents in Buda will also be voting for city council members and mayor, to learn more about early voting locations and what else is on the ballot click here.

*Original article online at http://kxan.com/2017/10/23/buda-voters-to-decide-if-fluoride-should-be-added-back-to-water/

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