The battle over what’s in Crowley’s water system is brewing once again. For the past two years, the city has added fluoride to the water, after the council approved the measure. Now, fluoridation is mandated by the state. But, some residents are not happy with the additional chemical in their water. They’ve started a petition in hopes of changing the law, at least in Crowley.

“The biggest concern is that, like anything, fluoride in the wrong dosage can cause problems,” said Crowley Mayor, Greg Jones.

Mayor Jones says he and other city councilmen have received numerous complaints from residents, who are concerned about the potential health risk fluoride may have. Councilman Elliot Dore says some residents simply don’t want the government to force them to have the additional fluoride in their water.

So, Tuesday night they city council voted to allow Mayor Jones to send a letter to LAWCO, the company that processes the fluoride into the water. The letter is a request by Crowley to temporarily stop the fluoridation, until further research can be done and residents can get answers to ease their concerns.

“The letter’s not going to stop the fluoridation, and we don’t even know if LAWCO can do it… It’s a state mandated process,” saud Councilman Dore.

Because fluoridation is Louisiana law, officials say residents may not be able to stop the process until next spring, if at all.

Dr. John Taylor, a Crowley dentist, hopes that in the meantime, residents can learn the benefits of fluoridation. Taylor also serves on the Governor’s Fluoridation Advisory Board, which encourages communities to add fluoride to their water system.

“I think there’s a campaign of misinformation. I think fluoridation is an emotional issue, some people don’t grasp the concept,” said Taylor.

Taylor says, over the past 60 years, studies have shown that cities with fluoridation are %40-%60 less likely to have tooth decay.

“Fluoride can benefit all groups, all age groups all economic groups, it’s a win, win.”

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