Sandy mayor apologises for water crisis, wants input on fluoride

Salt Lake County Health Department Employee Ron Lund takes water samples to be analyzed from homes in the effected area in Sandy on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Photo: Silas Walker / Deseret News)

SANDY — Mayor Kurt Bradburn is apologizing again for the city of Sandy’s water crisis in a post on the SandyNow! website. But the mayor also wants to hear from the public on whether they should keep adding fluoride to the water supply.

Sandy city leaders have been heavily criticized since February when they waited a week to let most residents know about a fluoride spill that caused elevated levels of copper and lead to seep into the water supply.

“This circumstance has elevated the discussion about whether or not fluoride should still be added to our water system. Like other local cities, Sandy has complied with the law, voted on by citizens in the early 2000s, to add fluoride in our water system. I would like to continue this dialogue with citizens in a forthcoming town hall this year,” Bradburn wrote in his post.

Bradburn also admitted that there’s been tension between him and the City Council, but says they are working “tirelessly” to restore public trust. They have also hired third-party investigators to figure out what happened and study the city’s response.

Subsequent testing showed no elevated levels of lead or copper in the water once the system was repaired.