Decision to add fluoride to water not a simple one

By Staff
Mike Self, FCT Sports Editor
Added fluoride in Alabama's drinking water is a given, right?
Not necessarily.
Eighty-two percent of Alabamians on public water are getting fluoride added at the water plant, reflecting the prevailing belief among health professionals that the practice is beneficial.
According to Dr. Stuart Lockwood, state dental director for the health department, Alabama's 82 percent fluoridation rate puts it among 26 states where more than 75 percent of the population on public water receives fluoride.
The reason advocates give for fluoridation is simple: "It reduces tooth decay by 20 to 40 percent," Lockwood said.
According to a local official, however, the dilemma of whether or not to add fluoride to water at the plant is not that simple.
"Fluoride is one of the harshest chemicals in a water treatment plant," said Doug Aaron, superintendent of operations for the Franklin County Water Authority, which has opted not to add fluoride at its new plant. "It can literally etch glass. Controlling it can be difficult. You almost have to store it in a separate facility in order to handle it. Dosing can be very aggravating, because you have to get it exactly right. If you add too much or too little, it can stain your teeth. You have to find that happy medium, and that's hard to do."
Others in the state share similar concerns. Earlier this month, North Baldwin Utilities, which serves 6,900 households in south Alabama, began debating whether to stop adding fluoride to its water after more than 25 years because some residents wanted more control over their consumption of fluoride, according to a recent Associated Press report.
Aaron also pointed out that fluoride has become more expensive and harder to acquire since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, where much of the chemical compound is produced.
"Since Hurricane Katrina, the price of fluoride has tripled," Aaron said. "Plants that used to pay a thousand dollars for it are now paying three or four thousand. Also, there's a six-month wait now just to get fluoride. It's not as available as it used to be."
Despite the cost and availability issues, the Russellville Water and Sewer Plant has continued to add fluoride to its water supply.
"It was a state requirement when we started doing it, and nobody has told us to stop," manager Doug Clement said. "When A.D.E.M. [Alabama Department of Environmental Management] tells us not to add fluoride anymore, we'll stop.
"A lot of new plants have opted not to do it, like the Franklin County plant. But most of their water comes from us anyway, so they really have no need to add the expense of a costly chemical."
Clement said the Russellville plant stopped adding fluoride for about three months after Katrina hit, but they resumed the practice as soon as the chemical became readily available again.
Aaron said another factor in the decision not to add fluoride at the new Franklin County plant was the increased availability of the compound at dentist's offices.
"Dentists have fluoride more readily available through toothpaste and things like that," Aaron said. "There are so many different alternatives now."
Studies have been done on the harmful effects of overexposure to fluoride, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement in 2006 calling fluoridation "a safe, effective and inexpensive way to prevent tooth decay."