PORT ST. LUCIE — About three weeks after Stuart temporarily removed fluoride from its drinking water, Port St. Lucie officials hjas done the same.
The announcement was made Wednesday and affects 95,000 water customers in the city. Fluoridation was stopped Dec. 13, and it takes about two days to refresh the system, according to the city.
The St. Lucie West Services District serves 6,800 customers in Port St. Lucie. Officials there could not be reached for comment.
“Our top priority is to provide our customers with the safest and highest-quality product possible,” said Kevin Matyjaszek, director of the Port St. Lucie Utility Systems Department, in a statement. “Given recent concerns, we felt it was in our customers’ best interest to temporarily halt adding fluoride to our water until more information is available.”
Both Stuart and Port St. Lucie removed fluoride from their drinking water temporarily because of Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s concerns about the health risks.
The state’s position
The risks include “adverse effects in children reducing IQ, cognitive impairment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” Ladapo said in a statement last month.
“The previously considered benefit of community water fluoridation does not outweigh the current known risks, especially for special populations like pregnant women and children,” Ladapo wrote.
But he also said, “It is clear more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation.”
A great health achievement
Ladapo’s statements come following years of widespread certainty that fluoride is good for dental health.
Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have lauded the use of fluoride in drinking water as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. Medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association have endorsed the idea.
More than 70% of Floridians drink water with added fluoride, according to self-reported numbers collected by the Florida Department of Health.
Port St. Lucie officials’ reasoning
City officials looked at what Stuart did, but ultimately decided on their own to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water, city spokesperson Scott Samples said.
City Manager Jesus Merejo worked with Matyjaszek to make the decision on Dec. 13, Samples said. Merejo could not be reached for comment.
A 1989 county ordinance requires the city to add fluoride to its drinking water. But, according to the city, County Attorney Daniel McIntyre told Port St. Lucie officials that it’s best to avoid enforcing the ordinance considering Ladapo’s concerns.
Next steps
It was unclear Wednesday when the city would reconsider the temporary removal of fluoride from the water. The decision will involve the City Council and St. Lucie County officials, Samples said.
More:Stuart temporarily removing fluoride from drinking water following surgeon general warning
More:Some Treasure Coast governments still considering warning about fluoride in tap water
City officials will consider new data if it comes in, and the public will have the chance to weigh in when the issue goes before the City Council. Its next meeting is Jan. 13.
The City Council is aware of the issue because Merejo mentioned it to them, Samples said. But no votes were taken.
Original article online at: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/st-lucie-county/2024/12/18/florida-warns-of-risks-of-fluoride-in-water-and-port-st-lucie-reacts/77070178007/