Cheney may stop adding fluoride to its water

Cheney may stop fluoridating its water.

July 14 marked the beginning of a formal 90-day notification period to inform the public of the City Council’s consideration to stop adding fluoride to the water. Cheney started adding fluoride to its water in 1972 to reach a concentration of 0.70 milligrams per liter, which is the level recommended by the Washington State Department of Health, a July 15 city of Cheney Facebook post said.

The initiative to end fluoridated water in Cheney is spearheaded by Mayor Elsa Martin, said Councilwoman Rebecca Long. The city cited the difficulty of maintaining consistent levels, outdated and costly equipment, and public concern as the reason for the consideration.

“Cheney’s natural fluoride level is approximately 0.3 mg/L, which is below the recommended range of 0.5–0.9 mg/L, with a target of 0.7 mg/L,” Long wrote in an email. “Reaching and consistently maintaining that recommended level has been operationally challenging.”

City Councilwoman Jacquelyn Belock said water has been a top priority of Martin’s administration. So far, the mayor hasn’t coordinated any information sessions with experts on fluoride or public health, but Belock is hopeful the mayor and council will get to hear their opinions soon.

“We need to listen to our community and the experts in our community. This is a public health concern,” she said.

Although Martin is the point person for questions regarding Cheney’s use of fluoride, she didn’t answer several requests for comment.

Cheney resident Courtney Miller sent a letter to the City Council outlining her concerns with fluoridated water. She has seen studies from the National Toxicology Program that show fluoride exposure can impact neurological development and said adding fluoride to the drinking water is a “mass medication through a public utility.”

“Individuals should have the right to decide what medications or treatments they receive, and that decision should not be removed simply because they need access to drinking water,” she wrote.

Torney Smith, a former administrator of the Spokane Regional Health District, said studies connecting neurological development impacts with fluoride exposure have been debunked, and more studies prove the public health benefits of fluoride in drinking water. Spokane has never added fluoride to its water.

During his time with the health district, Smith has noticed areas without fluoridated water have higher rates of dental issues.

“We have more dental care problems in Spokane because of the lack of fluoride in the water,” Smith said.

Jacob Ridl, a dentist in Cheney, spoke at the city council’s July 14 meeting in opposition to the end of fluoridated water. Fluoride, he said, is one of the most studied minerals and has been proven to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. He worries about the health of children’s teeth if the city stops fluoridating water.

“There’s a lot of kids that do not have access to care,” Ridl said. “So really their only protection is public water.”

The 90-day notification period will conclude on Oct. 13, and a decision will be made. Residents can share their thoughts during public comment at city council meetings, which happen every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is 6 p.m. July 28.