The head of Kenton’s water plant sought to “set the record straight” regarding fluoride in the city’s drinking water during a presentation to City Council on Monday night.

Superintendent Tom Sweigart was responding to comments made by resident Joe Jared at council’s Aug. 27 meeting, during which Jared raised health concerns about fluoride in the water.

Sweigart said fluoride is naturally occurring in the city’s water supply. The city does not add fluoride to the water.

He said just the opposite is true. Because the natural fluoride is at 1.8 milligrams per liter, chemicals are use to strip 30 percent of the fluoride from the water. That lowers the fluoride level to around 1.33 milligrams per liter. The EPA allows .8 to 2.0 milligrams per liter in drinking water, Sweigart said.

Instead of health concerns, he promoted the benefits of fluoride. Information from the American Dental Association said people drinking water without fluoride have a 50 percent higher rate of cavities and higher doctor bills…

Print PDF