Vermont Water Department Official Secretly Lowered Fluoride Levels For Years
In a shocking reminder of the debate around one of drinking water treatment’s most controversial practices, a Vermont town recently learned that fluoride levels in its effluent had been lowered secretly by an official.
“Residents of a small community in Vermont were blindsided last month by news that one official in their water department quietly lowered fluoride levels nearly four years ago, giving rise to worries about their children’s dental health and transparent government — and highlighting the enduring misinformation around water fluoridation,” the Associated Press reported.
Fluoride has been added to public drinking water across the U.S. for decades, with officials noting that it can help improve public dental health. But critics fear its consumption has harmful consequences, often fueled by unsubstantiated theories.
As a result, the ongoing fluoridation of public drinking water continues to be controversial in some parts of the country. Last year, the mayor of Alaska’s largest city personally visited the city’s water treatment plant to stop fluoridation. And when officials opted to stop the practice in a Florida town recently, local dentists advocated for its continuation.
In Vermont, the water and wastewater superintendent apparently felt obligated to quietly change the practice over concerns he had that the country’s and state’s management had gone astray.
“He said he worries about quality control in the fluoride used in U.S. drinking systems because it comes from China — an assertion that echoes unfounded reports about Chinese fluoride that have circulated online in recent years,” according to AP. “And, he said, he doesn’t think the state’s recommended level of fluoride is warranted right now.”
The superintendent was questioned at a recent water and sewer commission meeting, where he defended his decision. The commission voted to return the drinking water to its full fluoridation levels and, as of this writing, no repercussions for the reductions have been announced. In the meantime, some consumers have voiced concerns over the incident.
“A Richmond resident for two years and a retired doctor, Allen Knowles said he was ‘fairly gobsmacked’ to learn the fluoride level was inadequate by state standards and manipulated by an individual without town approval,” VTDigger reported. “He and his daughter’s family are worried about the health of her 8-month-old who ‘is developing her permanent teeth up in her gums as we speak,’ he said.”
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