Valdese leaders delayed a decision Monday on whether to remove fluoride from the town’s drinking water, opting to gather more information after a wave of public concern and new data presented at the meeting.
The Town Council voted to table the issue until its May 11 meeting, citing the need for additional time to consider new information that was not included in the agenda packet.
The proposal, initially introduced as a cost-saving measure, has evolved into a broader debate over public health, infrastructure needs, and the future of the town’s water system.
Town Manager Todd Herms acknowledged the rollout of the proposal may have contributed to confusion.
“I think the intention was well meaning, (but) maybe the execution failed a little bit,” Herms said.
The proposal also caused some upset in the community because it was originally on the meeting’s consent agenda.
Consent agenda items are considered routine and are all approved in one vote without discussion. Council members may request discussion on any item, which requires moving it from the consent agenda to the regular agenda.
“Typically, municipalities use consent agenda items for procedural processes that are not controversial,” Herms said in a previous article. “In this case, we placed it (rescinding the fluoride feed) on the agenda per our recommendation from the town’s engineer.”
Bo Weichel, Valdese assistant town manager and chief financial officer, said free fluoride rinse would be available at town hall for residents, should the council vote to remove the fluoride tank.
WHY REMOVE FLUORIDE?
There are several prongs to this proposal, one being that Valdese staff is searching for ways to keep water services as inexpensive as possible for customers.
Removal would save the town up to $16,000 per year in chemical delivery, create a safer work environment for employees at the water treatment plant, and pave the way for a potential water interconnection with the City of Lenoir in Caldwell County.
The town’s fluoride tank is old and has been patched multiple times. RJ Mozeley with McGill Associates said if the council chooses to continue feeding fluoride into the town’s water, they must budget about $160,000 to replace the old tank.
Weichel said cutting water expenses is tough because numerous state-mandated requirements must be followed to provide clean water. Those mandates call for pricey chemicals and processes.
One thing that is not required by North Carolina law, though, is fluoride treatment, Weichel said.
Continuing fluoride treatment could also make it challenging to move forward with the Lenoir water interconnection project.
While fluoride treatment is optional, caustic chemical treatment is not. Caustic adjusts the water’s pH balance, Mozeley said.
Valdese’s water treatment plant provides an average of 3.3 million gallons per day (MGD) of potable water to customers, Mozeley said. If the town connects with Lenoir, that may add another 4 MGD. Valdese has the capacity, but would need another caustic bulk storage tank.
Mozeley said the plan was to put a second bulk storage tank for caustic where the Valdese water treatment plant’s fluoride bulk storage tank is now.
“So that’s kind of a real estate issue,” Mozeley said. “Are there other options for moving the fluoride or moving the additional caustic tank to other spots on the project side? There are, but they are not within the current project scope (and) current project budget.”
Additionally, fluoride is a harsh, corrosive chemical, Mozeley said.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the town to keep safety data sheets on hand for the fluoride chemical, Mozeley said.
In 2023, the Town of Valdese was awarded $7 million from the state to assist with improvements to the water treatment plant, Mozeley said. Construction is currently projected to cost $6.67 million.
Mayor Pro Tem Rexanna Lowman asked when construction for the interconnection project with Lenoir may start. Mozeley said permits will be sought in the summer and bids could go out by the end of the year.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Valdese resident Dr. Robert Stevenson urged council members to “think long and hard” before eliminating fluoride from Valdese’s water.
Stevenson said he has 40 years of dentistry under his belt at his private practice and spent two years as a dentist for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.
Stevenson asked that council members study scientific data and results related to water fluoridation, tooth decay, and cavities in children, especially.
University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry professors Dr. Anne Sanders and Dr. Gary Slade cite that in counties where at least 75% of the population has fluoridated water, children experience less tooth decay than children in counties with lower fluoridation, regardless of household income, Stevenson said.
When he heard of this proposal as a cost-saving measure, Stevenson said he reached out to Dr. Scott Eidson, who recently retired from a dentistry position at UNC at Chapel Hill.
“He (Eidson) equated the removal of fluoride to refusing the measles vaccine,” Stevenson said. “There is a difference in ingested fluoride and topically applied fluoride. Both are important, but the ingested fluoride strengthens the teeth during the formation. The topical fluoride strengthens the outer layer of enamel.”
Stevenson said removing fluoride from the water could also affect whether people choose to move to the area.
Valdese residents and other communities who receive water from Valdese deserve the advantage of fluoridated water, Stevenson said.
“Do not vote on this important issue without studying the facts first,” Stevenson said. “This is about community health, not just money.”
In February 2025, The Paper conducted a poll of readers asking whether fluoride should be added to drinking water. About 74% of surveyed readers were in favor of fluoride; 26% were against.
COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Vice Chair Lowman asked if other entities that purchase water from Valdese had been informed of the possibility of removing fluoride from the water.
“We generally don’t talk about how we do our processes with our bulk customers. That’s all decided internally here with the town for how we handle those operations,” Weichel said.
The Town of Rutherford College, Icard Water Corp., and Burke County purchase water from Valdese. Weichel said it is important to note that those entities purchase water from other suppliers as well.
Lowman said she spent her career working with children, and water fluoridation is an important issue. The American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Medical Association endorse water fluoridation, she said.
“You’re asking a lot,” Lowman said. “And we’ve not been given a lot of this information until tonight.”
Councilwoman Heather Ward said it would be unwise to make a decision that night.
“The biggest thing for me is, what would the cost increase be?” Ward said. “Because that is something that we have talked about quite a bit in Valdese, about our water rates, and if it’s going to go up a lot more, we may want to … at least wait a month, (and) during the budget process make these decisions.”
Councilwoman Shannon Radabaugh said many residents have reached out to her and read a written statement she had prepared.
Public health data and her own experience working in dentistry have shown that fluoride improves dental health in children, Radabaugh said, but it is also widely available through other sources such as toothpaste and mouthwash.
“Most people receive adequate fluoride exposure without relying on drinking water,” Radabaugh said. “We should also consider how people consume tap water today. Many individuals and families rely on bottled water rather than drinking directly from the tap. … This raises the question of how much benefit can truly be delivered through the water systems alone.”
Radabaugh noted concerns on both sides of the aisle, such as health benefits and more fluoride exposure now than in the past.
“Ultimately, this decision is about balance. It is about weighing the long-standing public health benefit against evolving access to dental care, individual preference, and the priorities of our community.”
NO FLUORIDE IN MORGANTON, DREXEL
The City of Morganton’s water has not been fluoridated for at least a year because its fluoride feed needs repairs.
Water Resources Director Randy Smith said the city has held off on its repairs until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completes an assessment regarding fluoride, human health, and toxicology.
“The public comment period just ended … so there are some things coming from the EPA level that could possibly be changing drinking water standards,” Smith said.
Morganton supplies water to Drexel, Brentwood, Burke County, and a corporation called Aqua North Carolina.
Original article online at: https://www.thepaper.media/news/valdese/valdese-officials-delay-vote-on-whether-to-remove-fluoride-from-water/article_48a00aca-dff4-41bf-aefc-b656cefb5683.html