Mayor Moe Hamdon hopes to have Drayton Valley’s fluoride question answered once and for all by the end of the year.

Fluoride is widely used to prevent dental cavities, especially in children. It was first added to Drayton Valley’s water supply in 1966 and the practice continued uninterrupted until earlier this year. That’s when council was approached by water plant manager Bernie Berube who raised a number of concerns over the safety of the process both for consumers and water plant staff.

Fluoridation has been suspended for the last few months as Town administration looks at the cost of upgrading equipment at the water plant in order to ensure employee safety.

“We pulled it out temporarily,” says Hamdon. “Administration is still gathering information. Costing out the upgraded equipment is important, but it’s a small part of what we’re looking at. Most importantly this is a health decision. It’s a safety decision.

“I’d like to see it dealt with by the end of the year. I think we need to make a decision and move on.”

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