The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant (BPWTP), which supplies drinking water to both Regina and Moose Jaw, is preparing to expand fluoride treatment to Regina’s water system for the first time in decades following a recent decision by Regina City Council.
Construction is set to begin in 2026, after current work on the ongoing $325 million BPTWP Renewal Project is complete. Moose Jaw has been fluoridating its water since the 1980s, recently upgrading to a modern liquid feed system.
CEO Ryan Johnson said both cities could eventually share Regina’s larger fluoride system, depending on efficiency and cost. Fluoride dosing is regulated by the province, based on Health Canada guidelines. Johnson confirmed that while the plant handles the technical side, public inquiries about fluoridation usually go through city channels.
“Only Moose Jaw gets fluoride at this point. Regina City Council has approved a project to add fluoride, and the design is nearly complete. We expect to tender the construction later this fall, and have the equipment installed sometime in 2026.
“The reason for the delay is that we currently have a general contractor on site for (the Renewal Project), and we don’t want two separate contractors tripping over each other.”
“Once Regina’s system is operational, Moose Jaw could potentially switch to using Regina’s larger, newer system. Moose Jaw’s own fluoride system was updated a few years ago from an old powder system to a modern liquid one.”
Despite the recent update, Moose Jaw’s system is far too small to handle both municipalities, while Regina’s system, once installed, will have more than enough capacity for the task if that decision is made.
Does fluoridation have good evidence behind it?
Water fluoridation is a proven public health intervention that helps prevent tooth decay and improve oral health across the populations of entire cities and countries, including the UK, US, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, and Brazil.
Fluoride, when added to community water supplies at optimal levels (typically 0.7 milligrams per litre is the widely used standard), strengthens tooth enamel and reduces the incidence of cavities in both children and adults. Numerous studies have shown that water fluoridation reduces dental decay by 20–40% across all age groups, with the most benefit seen in communities that have limited access to dental care.
In addition to health benefits, fluoridation contributes to long-term economic savings by reducing the need for costly dental treatments, emergency room visits, and lost productivity due to dental pain or illness.
According to Health Canada, depending on the community, every dollar invested in water fluoridation saves between $5 and $93 per person in dental treatment costs avoided. Health Canada says that the rate of tooth decay in permanent teeth in the country has declined from 74% of children in 1970-72 to less than 25% in 2007-2009.
For municipalities, this makes it one of the most cost-effective public health measures available.
How is it added to the city’s water supply?
The system is not complicated in itself. The target amount, 0.7 mg/L, can also be described as 0.7 parts per million (PPM) — which is not much. You’d need more than 7,000 litres of water to dissolve a single teaspoon of fluoride at that concentration.
“These are standard chemical feed systems, though every installation is a little different depending on size, storage type, and feed requirements,” said Johnson, an engineer by trade. “We usually tender it out to a general contractor, who picks equipment based on the design specs. Sometimes we’ll buy the long-lead items separately to save time — in some cases, it can take a year just to build a component.”
Fluoride is also naturally occurring, which has to be accounted for.
“We’re permitted to put up to 1.5 milligrams per litre of fluoride in the water, but naturally occurring fluoride is around 0.12 milligrams per litre. For Moose Jaw, we dose up to about 0.7 — that’s the target,” explained Johnson.
“Health Canada provides recommendations, and the Water Security Agency — our provincial regulator — adopts those into law.”
Fluoridation is recommended by health organizations worldwide, including-but-not-limited-to:
- Health Canada
- Canadian Dental Association (CDA)
- Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)
- Canadian Medical Association (CMA)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- American Dental Association (ADA)
- Australian Dental Association (ADA)
- British Dental Association (BDA)
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
Original article online at: https://www.discovermoosejaw.com/articles/future-of-fluoride-water-treatment-plant-considering-merging-mj-regina-systems