The Culver Town Council has a decision to make regarding public health, but decided to postpone providing direction until more council members were present.

The Town is in the process of designing a new water treatment facility. At this point in the design, engineers are requesting council input on whether the Town will use fluoride in the water treatment process.

Mark Sullivan with Midwestern Engineers says it’s not a requirement to introduce fluoride into the water treatment process.

“I think the real debate is the effectiveness of it with respect to modern dentistry and the fluoride that’s done now through the dentist and there are case studies out that say the fluoride that you get from your dentist is many times more effective than this,” says Sullivan.

Water fluoridation is used in the protection against tooth decay. Using fluoride in water systems is recommended by the American Dental Association.

According to engineers and utilities personnel during last night’s discussion, fluoride can cause corrosion in the water treatment equipment. Estimates thrown out last night say certain equipment would need to be replaced every five or 10 years.

Some in attendance brought up the issue of economic welfare – pointing to the cost/benefit between replacing the equipment and reduced tooth and cardiovascular ailments.

Tom Yuhas is a retired dentist. He says the benefit of fluoridated water is that it’s systemic.

“That means its going through your entire system so that’s getting incorporated into all the developing teeth even in an infant,” says Yuhas.

The water treatment facility is scheduled to go to bid in the near future.

The Town Council will likely provide direction on fluoridated water at their next meeting.

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