Drinking water in Kyle comes from a mix of ground and surface sources.
The City of Kyle said it’s proud of its water.
“We take a lot of pride in the quality of our water as well as the diversification of our water and how we work very hard to conserve it,” the City of Kyle’s Jerry Hendrix said.
The city said it doesn’t add any fluoride to the drinking water, and the only fluoride in the system comes from one of four wells, and in that case, it’s naturally occurring.
The level of fluoride in the water from the one particular well is so high the city is required to warn residents.
“Because water comes into that well at that level, we have to notify all our water customers that fluoride exists at potentially hazardous levels,” Hendrix said.
One dentist said some fluoride strengthens developing teeth, but too much can cause problems.
“You can get fluoride stains that can cause mottling,” Dr. Gene Milligan said. “It’s not very aesthetic; it’s going to look bad. They’ll range from light brown to dark brown.”
Kyle resident Anita Arredondo has seen the effects of too much fluoride.
She said some of her family members’ teeth have developed stains.
“My granddaughter, when she went to the dentist, I know the first thing they told her, ‘Are you from Kyle?’ And she said, ‘Yeah,’ and my daughter told her ‘Yeah we’re from Kyle,’ and they said it was probably some of the drinking water.”
The city said people living near Gregg-Clarke Park are at the greatest risk for higher levels of fluoride.
But, they stand by the quality and safety of their water.
“I would just encourage anyone if they have any questions about the quality of water coming out of their tap — that it might have some problems — get it tested or buy a filter,” Hendrix said.
The city said that fluoride levels drop as the water blends throughout the system.
The negative impact of high fluoride primarily affects young children.
The city advises that children under the age of 9 should be provided an alternative source of water.
Parents are also encouraged to talk to their dentists about the use of fluoride.
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