SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane is now one step closer toward potentially adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water.
There’s a consensus amongst health experts that fluoridated water benefits dental health, especially that of children, but Spokane voters have rejected fluoridation proposals three times in the past.
In the fall of 2020, Spokane City Council moved forward on its own with the beginnings of a fluoridation plan. They voted to accept a $4 million grant from the Arcora Foundation, the non-profit arm of Delta Dental, to pay for the installation.
The initial contract said that if the city eventually decided not to go through with fluoridation, it would have to pay back to Arcora any money it spent.
However, many local leaders wanted an option to study how best to implement fluoridation on Arcora’s dime, without having to worry about packing back the funds for the study if they eventually elected not to fluoridate.
To ease those concerns, council approved an amendment Monday that allows the city to spend up to $600,000 on a feasibility study, that they would not have to pay back.
The next step is putting out a request for proposals from engineering firms and deciding who to contract to perform the study.