After more than a year without fluoride, Marine City is now receiving the addition to its water source.
The fluoridation tank was shut down last year after a malfunction. The city looked into funding sources and even considered not adding the dental supplement.
“We did extensive research on the pros and cons involved,” said Mayor Bob Lepley. “When we weighed it all, we based it mainly on the professional input from our local dentists. They all had very practical input.”
They eventually purchased a new unit through a grant for a Fluoridation Equipment Grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health.
City Manager John Gabor said the new unit is equipped with redundant safety features to ensure the levels remain safe. The grant covered $27,665 of the total cost and the local match was $5,500.
“It is a completely automated system that will elevate the level of fluoride as they turn more pumps as it senses increased flow and turn the devices down,” he said. “There’s about three safety devices in there.”
Lepley said the old unit was beyond repair, so purchasing a new one was the city’s only option.
“It was antiquated,” he said. “It was hooked up with a standard household extension cord. That’s serious because if fluoride is miss-measured, it is toxic.”
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