SUNBURY — Ratepayers of the Sunbury Municipal Authority water system will no longer have fluoride in the water by the end of September.
According to a public notice, the municipal authority will apply to the state Department of Environmental Protection, requesting that the public water supply permit be amended to remove fluoridation from operations.
The notice states the removal of fluoride would occur on or about Sept. 30.
Customers can still give written comments to DEP by sending letters to 208 W. Third St., Suite 101, in Williamsport, or to the municipal authority at 462 S. 4th St., in Sunbury.
Customers can also call the water authority to voice concerns at 570-286-5858 between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The issue came to light after employees expressed concerns to members that they felt unsafe using the powder chemical fluoride. Board members voted 4-3 to remove the fluoride from the system on Oct. 21.
Three members of Sunbury City Council spoke as residents during the public comment portion of the Sunbury Municipal Authority meeting earlier this month in hopes to slow down the process.
In November, Sunbury Mayor Josh Brosious sent a letter asking the authority to reconsider the vote to remove fluoride from the city’s water system. Brosious and Councilmen Jim Eister and Andrew Ramos spoke to members of the authority Tuesday night and asked them to slow down, do more research and vote again.
Brosious asked the board if they would re-vote. Authority Chairman Norm Koch said if the board decided to revisit the issue the public would know if another vote would be taken.
Municipal authority members have all agreed and already begun searching for a way to donate toothpaste and related materials to the community to replace the fluoride in the system.
Original article online at: https://www.alliednews.com/pennsylvania/news/fluoride-to-be-removed-from-sunbury-water-system-by-end-of-september/article_dfd4d92b-2ccb-5d13-bec1-24316e943a02.html