Five Pasco council members are looking for a way to stop fluoride from being added to the city’s drinking water.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. Almost all water contains some fluoride.
It was first added to Pasco’s water almost 30 years ago. Studies have shown it helps prevent cavities and promotes dental health.
Now some on the council are testing the waters as they propose removing fluoride.
Fluoride in Tri-Cities
More than 70% of the U.S. population that uses public drinking water systems has access to water with fluoride levels that prevent tooth decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Washington State Department of Health does not require public water systems to add fluoride to drinking water. The State Board of Health oversees the state’s fluoridation of drinking water rule.
The Department of Health must be notified 90 days before a city makes a decision to remove or add fluoride.
In the Tri-Cities, only Pasco fluoridates its water. West Richland has naturally occurring fluoride that can be higher than optimal. Kennewick and Richland water has too little naturally occurring fluoride to detect and the cities do not add it.
West Richland reported that fluoride levels at two of the five city wells exceeded state standards in 2024. High levels of fluoride can cause discoloration of permanent teeth, usually in children under nine.
In Pasco, fluoride is added to water at the Butterfield Water Treatment Plant and West Pasco Water Treatment Plant through a process called fluoridation. Last year, the two plants treated more than 5 billion gallons of water, or about 15 million gallons per day.
The recommended level of fluoride is 0.7 milligrams per liter in drinking water throughout the United States, a standard set by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
That’s equal to about three drops of water in a 55-gallon barrel.
Pasco’s 2024 water quality report stated that the city took hundreds of water samples last year and fluoride measured an average of 0.64 parts per million or milligrams per liter of water. Fluoride in water ranged was 0.38-0.88 throughout the year.
Recent council discussion
Pasco Councilman Leo Perales opened up a discussion about fluoride at the city council meeting June 2.
Perales also recently shared posts on Facebook and Nextdoor to solicit feedback about keeping or removing fluoride. He said in his posts that there is “growing interest in the topic of fluoride in our water supply.” Responses were mixed overall.
At the meeting, he said that he wanted the council to vote within a few weeks whether or not to remove fluoride, and move forward without a staff presentation or hearing.
“I think a lot of us feel that we just want to take it out,” Perales said.
Some opponents to fluoride have concerns about not being able to control their intake, discoloration of teeth caused by excess fluoride and more.
Mayor Pro Tem David Milne, Councilman Charles Grimm and Councilman Peter Harpster all stated during the meeting that they are in favor of removing fluoride.
Mayor Pete Serrano agreed that fluoride should be removed, but wanted to hear a staff presentation at a future council meeting.
His main concern was ensuring that removing fluoride would not impact the city’s finances and processes.
None of the city council members gave a specific reason for why they felt the fluoride should be removed.
It’s also unclear what the legal consequences of eliminating fluoride would be.
Looking ahead, there will be a presentation to the council at a meeting in July.
City staff responds
Interim City Manager Dave Zabell told the council that he didn’t think there would be a significant impact on costs or the city’s processes, and that Pasco would likely save about $50,000 per year on chemicals.
“It’s a health issue and there are two sides to it,” Zabell said.
He cautioned against skipping a staff presentation or public hearing.
“There are people (who) are strong believers in fluoride for dental health, and there’s strong believers opposed to fluoride.”
“My fear is that if you make a decision without inviting input from those groups, it could come back and bite you.”
Eight years ago, there was a debate among the city council about removing fluoride from Pasco’s water.
Councilwoman Blanche Barajas recalled that Department of Health staff and community members filled the room when the council considered removing fluoride then. Ultimately, there was no change made to the city’s use of fluoride.
Original article online at: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/article308517725.html