California - Water agency to fluoridate

Water agency to fluoridate
Chemical credited with preventing tooth decay will be added to about half O.C.'s supplies.
By ADAM TOWNSEND
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Orange County residents, especially children, can expect healthier teeth and fewer cavities over the coming years, water officials say.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is bringing its system up to par with other regions with its decision to add fluoride to Southern California's water supply.
The MWD will start bringing fluoridation systems online at its five massive filtration plants over five weeks starting next month. One of those is the Robert B. Diemer Plant in Yorba Linda, which supplies about half of Orange County's water; it will start introducing fluoridated water into the system Nov. 19.
Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach are the only communities in Orange County that have fluoridated water."With adding fluoride, Southern California is really playing catch-up with other cities throughout the nation," said Bob Muir, a district spokesman.The district spent $5.5 million on chemical-injection equipment to add fluoride to tap water and keep it at the 0.7-milligrams-per-liter level that is considered optimal for building of tooth enamel and preventing cavities.
DENTAL HEALTH
According to the American Dental Association, it costs about $1 annually to fluoridate water for the typical family. For every $1 spent, the Dental Association estimates fluoridated water prevents $38 in dental bills.
Dr. Eric Handler, a pediatrician and public health officer for the Orange County Healthcare Agency, said that fluoridating water is integral for the formation of healthy teeth in kids.
"It's been shown to be effective in preventing tooth decay," Handler said. "If I can pull a quote from the Centers for Disease Control, 'Fluoridation is one of the 10 great public health developments of the 20th century. It's a major factor in the decline of tooth decay.' "
However, for some fluoridation has been a controversial issue since the practice began in force in the 1940s.
"People aren't voting for fluoridation," said Jeff Green, the national director for San Diego-based Citizens for Safe Drinking Water.
Green said the fluoride process might even be bad for people, as he believes there hasn't been a conclusive study to support its use. He added he mistrusts the chemical manufacturers.
FLUORIDE IN THE MIX
Though Metropolitan provides a lot of Orange County's water, the agency's move to fluoridation doesn't mean every tap in the county will be spitting out water with an optimal level of fluoride. That makes the number of customers who will start receiving fluoridated water hard to pin down.

In south Orange County, some water districts get 100 percent of their water from the MWD.
"Whatever Met gives us, we get," said Larry Dees, director of operation for the Moulton Niguel Water District.
However, most north Orange County cities get MWD's soon-to-be-fluoridated water – in addition to utilizing water from ground wells that don't go through fluoridation systems. Parts of those cities will get fully fluoridated water most of the time, while others will get mostly unfluoridated water most of the time.
Water officials Mike Payne, Trudi Loy, Leon de los Reyes, John DeCriscio, Edgar Dimally, Mike Ebbing and Darcy Burke were also interviewed for this story.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3706 or atownsend@ocregister.com