Manatee County officials will consider putting a stop to the county’s decades-long practice of adding fluoride to drinking water.
Since the early 90s, the county has added the mineral to tap water based on evidence that it protects teeth and supports dental health. But a renewed national controversy over fluoride’s safety has communities across the countryreconsidering the practice.
On Tuesday, the board unanimously backed a motion by Commissioner Amanda Ballard that will open debate about whether to continue the county’s fluoride program.
But in a surprise twist, staff revealed that the county’s fluoridation system has not been functioning since 2021.
With the system offline, the county is not meeting the standard of 0.7 parts per million of fluoride in drinking water mandated by its own rules.
Now commissioners will decide whether to fix the system and bring the fluoride program back online or discontinue it altogether.
Commissioner says Manatee should ditch fluoride
Commissioner Amanda Ballard cited a recent government report that connected high levels of fluoride exposure with IQ loss in children.
However, the report only found that connection at fluoride levels more than twice those recommended by federal agencies for U.S. drinking water. The report noted that it was not meant to inform decisions about the safety of fluoride at low levels.
There is no medical consensus that the 0.7 ppm level used in U.S. drinking water is dangerous, and health agencies and organizations have stood by their recommendations to fluoridate water despite the report’s findings.
But Ballard argued that the report and other recent studies raise enough concern to stop adding fluoride.
“We don’t know what level is safe for our children’s brain development,” Ballard said.
Ballard argued that people can receive enough fluoride from toothpaste, mouthwash and certain foods.
“With those three different sources of constant fluoride intake, it’s probable that a lot of people in our population are receiving unsafe levels of fluoride,” Ballard claimed.
Manatee County staff say fluoride system is broken
Commissioners said county staff told them on Monday that fluoride has not been actively added to the county’s water supplies since the fluoridation system broke in 2021.
However, staff said fluoride is still present at around 0.2 parts per million due to naturally occurring levels of the mineral in Manatee County’s drinking water sources.
Deputy County Administrator Evan Pilachowski, who oversees utilities, said the county has two options to bring the system back online.
Replacing the system at its current location would cost around $2 million and take about a year to complete, Pilachowski said.
A new fluoride system could also be added as part of an upcoming capital improvement project for the county’s water system, Pilachowski said. He estimated that option would cost around $1.5 million and take three years to complete, adding that it would be a “superior system.”
Local residents make fluoride arguments
Robert Klement, who identified himself as a 40-year dentist in Manatee County and former Public Health Service officer, argued for the county to keep fluoride.
“I have seen the effects of fluoridation firsthand,” Klement said. “Adding fluoride to the water is like adding iodine to salt, calcium in milk (and) Vitamin C in juice to help prevent other chronic diseases.”
Klement argued that the recent federal report is being misconstrued by anti-fluoride advocates.
“There is no legitimate study to show that 0.7 poses a health risk at all,” Klement claimed.
But Martina Mallery, who said she left traditional dentistry because of fluoride to become a “holistic dentist,” claimed the mineral was a “dangerous carcinogen” and “neurotoxin.”
Fluoride is not classified as a carcinogen, according to the American Cancer Society. While studies have found adverse neurological effects of fluoride at high levels, there is no clear evidence that it acts as a neurotoxin at low levels, the recent National Toxicology Program review said.
Several other residents also spoke out against fluoride, arguing that the practice is wrong because residents don’t consent to it. Several came to speak from Sarasota County, which buys some of its drinking water from Manatee County.
Others argued for keeping fluoride for its public health benefits.
“It’s important to talk about the volume level. The fluoridation that is present is at a minimal level optimum for protecting teeth,” said Steve Tinsworth, a Bradenton dentist and past president of the Florida Association of Orthodontists and Manatee Dental Society. “The population that needs it most are the underserved in every county that don’t have dental care.”
Manatee begins fluoride debate
Other commissioners said they were open to discussing the possibility of removing fluoride but didn’t go as far as saying they would support its removal.
“Prior to October 2024, I got one email with the word fluoride in it,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “Since then I’ve gotten 3,000. This wasn’t a problem until it was a problem.”
Commissioner Tal Siddique said he hopes the board can have a wider discussion on other drinking water quality issues like perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” Recent research has classified some PFAS as carcinogens or possible carcinogens. A U.S. Geological Survey study published in 2023 estimated that PFAS could be present in “at least 45% of the nation’s tap water.”
“I’m glad this opens the door to a broader discussion on water quality,” Siddique said. “Flouride is the hot topic in our water for now. To me, there’s a broader conversation to be had here. For me, the PFAS risk is just untenable. It’s literally everywhere and we haven’t had nearly as much of a discussion on that as we have on fluoride.”
Siddique also said the county needs to address the broken fluoride system and do a better job of transparency.
“We’ve had municipalities sued over this,” Siddique said, citing a recent class action lawsuit brought by City of Buffalo residents after an investigation revealed that the city had not been adding fluoride to its water for several years.
What happens next?
Commissioners voted 6-0 in favor of having staff write a new ordinance that would eliminate the county’s fluoride program. Commissioner Robert McCann left the room during the vote.
The ordinance will come back to the board at a future date for further discussion and public comment.
Original article online at: https://www.aol.com/boil-water-advisory-issued-part-224422076.html