The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Monday will start pumping fluoride into Orange County’s water supply.
MWD Spokesman Bob Muir said the fluoride injection system at the Robert B. Diemer Filtration plant in Yorba Linda is ready. Diemer supplies about half of the drinking water in Orange County.
Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach have been the only communities in the county with fluoridated water.
The Diemer plant is the second-to-last MWD plant to go online with the chemical, advocated by dentists and doctors who say it promotes healthy teeth.
Muir acknowledged the concerns of some national groups and community members who say fluoride is actually harmful to health, but he pointed out that it was a consortium of dentists and medical doctors who approached the MWD board and asked it to fluoridate Southern California’s water supply in the first place.
“There are pockets of the community that have questions and concerns about fluoridation,” he said. “This is being done at the request of dentists and doctors throughout the region.”
Muir says he often has to deal with angry customers complaining about fluoridation. Many county residents, however, aren’t worried.
“I would assume if it’s being done, it’s being done to improve the quality of our teeth,” said Joe Carey, 46, of Rancho Santa Margarita. “If it ultimately does that, I don’t have a problem with it.”
“I’m definitely for it,” said Bill Mitchell, 83, of Placentia. “I think it’s a great preventative and I don’t have any problem with it.”
Who gets fluoride?
When the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California starts adding fluoride to its water in November, some of Orange County’s 3.2 million users will get fully fluoridated water. Others will get none and still others will get a mix of fluoridated and nonfluoridated water. Below is a breakdown of where the water goes, listed by water provider.
All customers will get fully fluoridated water:
El Toro Water District
Emerald Bay Service District
Laguna Beach CWE
Moulton Niguel Water District
South Coast Water District
Santa Margarita Water District
Some customers will get fully fluoridated water:
City of Anaheim
City of Brea
City of Buena Park
East Orange County Water District
City of Fullerton
City of Garden Grove
Golden State Water Company
Irvine Ranch Water District
City of La Habra
City of La Palma
MesaConsolidated
City of Newport Beach
City of Orange
OrangeParkAcres Mutual
San Clemente
San Juan Capistrano
City of Santa Ana
City of Seal Beach
Serrano Water District
Trabuco Canyon Water District
City of Tustin
City of Westminster
Yorba Linda Water District
All customers already get fully fluoridated water:
City of Fountain Valley
City of Huntington Beach