In November, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo made an announcementurging Florida cities to stop treating their water with fluoride.
“It is public health malpractice, with the information we have now, to continue adding fluoride to water systems in Florida,” Ladapo said.
Just days after the announcement, the city of Stuart, Florida, decided to temporarily remove fluoride from its tap water. This week, two other cities followed suit: Both Tavares and Port St. Lucie’s city officials decided to temporarily remove fluoride from their water.
But the City of Leesburg took a completely opposite turn. At a Dec. 16 City Commission meeting, the town officials voted to continue plans to fluoridate the city’s water, which is not fluoridated as of now.
Here’s what to know about why the U.S. has fluoridated tap water, the pros and cons of fluoride in water and which Florida communities fluoridate their water.
Why does U.S. water have fluoride?
According to the CDC, all water has fluoride in it, but not at levels high enough to prevent cavities, which is why the U.S. fluoridates tap water.
“Fluoride combines with outer enamel tooth layers, preventing cavities by making teeth stronger and more resistant to decay. Almost all water contains some naturally occurring fluoride, but usually at levels too low to prevent cavities,” the CDC says.
“Many communities add a small amount of fluoride to the water supply to prevent cavities and promote good oral health.”
But having fluoridated water is not enforced by the U.S. government, which is why it’s fairly simple for city governments to choose for themselves whether or not they want to treat water with fluoride.
“CDC does not mandate community water fluoridation. The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) recommended fluoride level is not an enforceable standard,” according to the CDC.
“State and local governments decide whether to implement water fluoridation. Often, voters themselves make the decision to adjust water fluoride to improve public health.”
Port St. Lucie’s fluoride removal:Fluoride removed from water in Port St. Lucie following state surgeon general’s concerns
How do I know if my tap water is fluoridated?
Most of Florida’s tap water is fluoridated. According to the Florida Department of Health and the State’s surgeon general, around 70% of Florida’s community water systems treat water with fluoride.
The Florida Department of Health has a full list of the public water systems in the state that fluoridate their water. At the time of this article, the last time the list was updated was on Dec. 4, 2024.
Here’s a list of the public water systems in Florida that fluoridate their water:
- Alachua – Alachua Water Treatment Plant, GRU – Murphree Water Treatment Plant
- Bay – Bay County Water System
- Brevard – City of Cocoa, City of Palm Bay, City of Titusville, City of Melbourne
- Broward – Bcwws 2a, Bcwws 1a, City of Dania Beach, City of Deerfield Beach, Cooper City, City of Coral Springs, Coral Springs Improvement District, Town of Davie, Fern Crest Utilities, Inc., City of Fort Lauderdale, City of Hallandale Beach, Town of Hillsboro Beach, City of Hollywood, City of Lauderhill, City of Margate, Miramar (East and West), City of North Lauderdale, City of Pembroke Pines, Plantation East and Central, City of Pompano Beach, Sunrise Sawgrass, Sunrise Springtree, City of Tamarac, Royal Waterworks, Inc., Parkland Utilities, Inc., Sunrise Southwest, North Springs Improvement District
- Citrus – City of Crystal River, Inverness Water Department
- Collier – Immokalee Water, Naples Water Department, Collier County Regional Water Treatment Plant
- Escambia – Emerald Coast Utilities Authority
- Gadsden – City of Quincy
- Hendry – City of Labelle
- Highlands – Sebring Water and Sewer System
- Hillsborough – City of Plant City Utility, City of Tampa Water Department, HCPUD/Northwest Utilities, HCPUD/South-Central, City of Temple Terrace Utility
- Indian River – City of Vero Beach, Indian River County Utilities
- Lake – City of Eustis, Tavares Water Department (no longer included, as of Dec. 2024), Umatilla Water Works
- Lee – City of Fort Myers Water Treatment Plant, Lee County Utilities
- Leon – City of Tallahassee
- Manatee – City of Bradenton, Manatee County Utilities Department
- Marion – City of Ocala
- Martin – City of Stuart (no longer included, as of Nov. 2024)
- Miami-Dade – City of Hialeah, City of Homestead, MDWASA – Main System, City of North Miami, North Miami Beach, FKAA J. Robert Dean Water Treatment Plant
- Okaloosa – City of Niceville
- Orange – City of Maitland, City of Ocoee, Orlando Utilities Commission, City of Winter Park, OCUD/Western Regional Water System, OCUD/Southern Water System, OCUD/Eastern Water System, TOHO Water Authority Eastern, TOHO Water Authority Western
- Osceola – City of St. Cloud, Harmony CDD, TOHO Water Authority – Poinciana System, TWA Sunbridge Water Treatment Plant
- Palm Beach – Wellington Water Treatment Plant, Delray Beach Public Water System, West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant, Palm Beach County Water Utilities, Lake Region Water Treatment Plant
- Pasco – New Port Richey Water Department
- Pinellas – Belleair Water Plant, Dunedin Water System, Pinellas County Utilities, Oldsmar Water System, City of St Petersburg
- Polk – City of Auburndale, City of Bartow, City of Lake Alfred, City of Lakeland, City of Haines City
- Seminole – Altamonte Springs Water Department, City of Lake Mary, City of Longwood, City of Sanford, Seminole County Northeast, Seminole County Southeast, Seminole County Southwest, City of Oviedo, Seminole County Northwest
- St. Lucie – Ft. Pierce Utilities Authority, St. Lucie West Services District
- Sumter – Sumter County
- Suwannee – Live Oak Water Treatment Plant, Suwannee Correctional Institute
- Taylor – Taylor County
- Union – Union County
- Volusia – City of Daytona Beach, City of Deland, City of Holly Hill, City of New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, City of Port Orange
- Wakulla – Wakulla County
- Walton – Walton County
- Washington – Washington County
Is water fluoridated in Leesburg, Florida?
Tap water in the City of Leesburg, which is in Lake County, is not currently fluoridated, but it will be sometime next year.
While other Florida cities are taking steps to remove fluoride from their water systems, Leesburg is headed in the opposite direction. Leesburg’s City Commissionvoted to fluoridate the city’s water in June and reached the same conclusion again in the Dec. 16 meeting.
The commission presented three options at the meeting; terminate the project, pause it or continue as planned.
Public Works manager Cliff Kelsey presented a timeline to the commission, showing that the project would be completed Aug. 5, 2025. His presentation also showed that the city had already invested $80,000 for the project’s design, and construction was estimated at $517,697.
After a heated debate with public comments on both side of the issue, the commission on Dec. 16 voted 3-2 to proceed with its plans to fluoridate the city’s water.
Do we really need fluoride in our water?
You don’t need fluoride in your water, but most dentists and medical professionals recommend it. According to the American Dental Association and the CDC, the main benefit and reason for adding fluoride to drinking water is to prevent cavities.
“Community water fluoridation is so effective at preventing tooth decay that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century,” the American Dental Association says.
“Fluoride is naturally present in groundwater and the oceans. Water fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride to a recommended level for preventing tooth decay. It’s similar to fortifying other foods and beverages — for example, fortifying salt with iodine, milk with vitamin D, orange juice with calcium and bread with folic acid.”
What are the negatives of fluoride in drinking water?
According to a 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine, too much fluoride can be a bad thing long-term.
“Excess amounts of fluoride ions in drinking water can cause dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, arthritis, bone damage, osteoporosis, muscular damage, fatigue, joint-related problems, and chronicle issues,” the study says.
“In extreme conditions, it could adversely damage the heart, arteries, kidney, liver, endocrine glands, neuron system, and several other delicate parts of a living organism.”
And according to a 2023 study (also published in the National Library of Medicine), fluoride does have benefits, but is likely more beneficial as a topical treatment than it is by ingestion, especially if other chemicals are mixed into water fluoridation.
“While fluoridating water, contamination with toxic chemicals can probably occur (i.e., arsenic). Although all suppliers are required to provide certificates of analysis and the amounts of contaminants in chemicals added to water as in some countries such as New Zealand, this is not always the case all over the world…” the study says.
“Since the fluoride benefit is mainly topical, perhaps it is better to deliver fluoride directly to the tooth instead of ingesting it.”
Fluoridated water in Florida:Florida Surgeon General Ladapo bucks CDC, calls fluoridating water ‘health malpractice’
What did the Florida surgeon general say about tap water?
In November, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo called fluoridated water a “health malpractice.”
According to the Florida Department of Health’s statement that corresponded with Ladapo’s announcement, there is a neuropsychiatric risk associated with too much exposure to fluoride through ingestion, particularly in pregnant women and children. The statement said that “the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health,” eliminated the need for community water fluoridation.
“It is clear more research is necessary to address safety and efficacy concerns regarding community water fluoridation,” Ladapo said.
“The previously considered benefit of community water fluoridation does not outweigh the current known risks, especially for special populations like pregnant women and children.”
Original article online at: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2024/12/20/how-why-tap-water-fluoride-fluoridated-florida-benefits-negatives/77100535007/