USA - Fluoride study on tap for water district
Fluoride study on tap for water district
John Driscoll/The Times-Standard
The board of the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District on Thursday will decide whether to embark on a study of the costs of fluoridating water at the regional level. A water task force composed of a board member, a district staff member and representatives of the district's wholesale municipal customers recommended the study, said John Palmquist with the water district. The study would cost an estimated $18,000 and take about two months, he said.
Kennedy/Jenks Consultants would do the work to determine the costs of adding fluoride at the Essex turbidity reduction facility. The same firm designed and built that facility, which was completed in 2003.
The district board has been moving cautiously on the fluoridation issue since some of its customers asked whether fluoride might be added at the source.
”It's just a real slow, step-by-step process,” Palmquist said.
The issue has raised some controversy. Some local dental health proponents insist that fluoride prevents tooth decay and is vital for children, especially poor children who don't have proper oral health. But opponents point to information that shows fluoride is hazardous to the health, and that putting the chemical in the
water is mass medicating on an involuntary level.
Thursday's vote would only authorize the study. Palmquist said it will have to go back to its customers when the costs are determined before any further steps are taken.
John Driscoll/The Times-Standard
The board of the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District on Thursday will decide whether to embark on a study of the costs of fluoridating water at the regional level. A water task force composed of a board member, a district staff member and representatives of the district's wholesale municipal customers recommended the study, said John Palmquist with the water district. The study would cost an estimated $18,000 and take about two months, he said.
Kennedy/Jenks Consultants would do the work to determine the costs of adding fluoride at the Essex turbidity reduction facility. The same firm designed and built that facility, which was completed in 2003.
The district board has been moving cautiously on the fluoridation issue since some of its customers asked whether fluoride might be added at the source.
”It's just a real slow, step-by-step process,” Palmquist said.
The issue has raised some controversy. Some local dental health proponents insist that fluoride prevents tooth decay and is vital for children, especially poor children who don't have proper oral health. But opponents point to information that shows fluoride is hazardous to the health, and that putting the chemical in the
water is mass medicating on an involuntary level.
Thursday's vote would only authorize the study. Palmquist said it will have to go back to its customers when the costs are determined before any further steps are taken.
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