Once considered vital to the prevention of tooth decay, the addition of fluoride to public water systems is now losing favor in Kansas as evidence grows of the negative effects of high concentrations of the mineral.
A federal court has recently ruled that fluoride in drinking water poses “an unreasonable risk” to children, and ordered the United States Environmental Protection Agency to take regulatory action to eliminate the risk.
Senior Judge Edward Chen wrote in the decision that the evidence did not support the American Dental Association and the US Centers for Disease Control’s claims of safety for over 75 years.
“The Court finds that fluoridation of water at 0.7 milligrams per liter (“mg/L”) – the level presently considered “optimal” in the United States – poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children…the Court finds there is an unreasonable risk of such injury, a risk sufficient to require the EPA to engage with a regulatory response,” Chen wrote. “In all, there is substantial and scientifically credible evidence establishing that fluoride poses a risk to human health; it is associated with a reduction in the IQ of children and is hazardous at dosages that are far too close to fluoride levels in the drinking water of the United States … Reduced IQ poses serious harm. Studies have linked IQ decrements of even one or two points to, e.g., reduced educational attainment, employment status, productivity, and earned wages.”
A SurveyUSA poll conducted on behalf of the Sentinel’s parent company, Kansas Policy Institute, shows that 72% of Kansans say water companies should reduce or eliminate fluoride levels without waiting for EPA recommendations.
The history of fluoride shows public support on the rise in post-World War Two as thousands of communities celebrated fewer toothaches and lower dental bills. But the introduction of Crest toothpaste in 1956: “Look Mom…no cavities,” ushered in an era of topical fluoride treatments, mouthwashes, and other oral care products over the next decades.
The abundance of fluoride products on the market, together with nearly 75% of the U.S. having access to it through their tap water by 2012, began to raise health concerns about its high concentration among the population. At high levels, fluoride can cause not only tooth discoloration or mottling, also known as fluorosis, but also damage bones and joints.
In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act designated drinking water fluoridation as a state government responsibility, with the Environmental Protection Agency in an advisory role.
We contacted several public water system operators in Kansas, showed them the poll results, and surveyed them as to their communities’ water system fluoridation:
Ken Anderson, Water/Wastewater Plant Supervisor, City of Norton:
“The City of Norton does not add fluoride to our drinking water. We test our treated water annually for fluoride. Any fluoride that shows up in our water is from natural deposits in our source water and last year it tested at 0.38 ppm. This is well below the MCL of 4 ppm as regulated by KDHE and the EPA.
“The City of Norton does not have any plans to alter the fluoride level in its water supply.”
Clinton McNemee, City of Atchison:
“The City of Atchison has not added fluoride for many years, and there are currently no plans or policies being discussed to deviate from that.”
Melissa McCoy, City of Dodge City:
“The City of Dodge City does not add fluoride to our water and does not have any plans to alter fluoride levels in the future.”
Megan Lovely, City of Wichita:
“The City of Wichita does not add fluoride to the water we produce and has no plans to do so at this time.”
Kelly Fry, Water One in Johnson County:
“Thank you for reaching out on this important topic. I can tell you many of us who work at WaterOne – and our families – are customers ourselves. We are passionate about making safe water that tastes great as well as is reliable and affordable. It is part of our core mission to keep updated on important topics like these. We watch this issue and all other regulatory issues closely to ensure we’re up-to-date on the latest and looking ahead.
“WaterOne’s Governing Board is statutorily bound by the mandate of an existing public referendum to fluoridate water. This means that WaterOne’s Governing Board does not have the authority to set aside the existing public mandate to fluoridate, nor as a public agency does it play a role in organizing or financing a new public vote to reassess the topic.”
Cody Kennedy, City of Olathe:
“The fluoride level in Olathe’s drinking water is maintained at the target of .7mg/L as recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. This practice has been in place since the community voted to approve fluoridation in 1959. The City of Olathe continues to act in accordance with the comprehensive regulatory guidance.”
Additionally, we contacted municipal water systems in Abilene, Minneapolis, Medicine Lodge, Columbus, St. Francis, and Pittsburg, but received no responses.
