Water Authority votes on adding fluoride to drinking supply

From KOB-TV.com - By: Jorge Torres, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - Back in March of 2011, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority stopped adding fluoride to the local drinking water supply for the first time since the city began adding it in the 1970s.
     Fast forward three years and the Water Authority Board is proposing to start adding it again at the request of the Center for Disease Control. The reason is that many members of the community, in particular the dental community, are concerned that the naturally occurring level is not sufficient to provide the dental health benefits that they would like to see, according to ABCWUA spokesperson David Morris.
     The naturally occurring level of fluoride in Albuquerque's drinking water supply is 0.5 parts per million, while the Center for Disease Control's recommended optimal level is 0.7 ppm. One Albuquerque dentist is opposed to the addition.
     "My major concern is the lack of scientific testing for safety and even the Environmental Protection Agency has stated that they don't have any information on file on the effects on fluoride in the water supply on health and behavior," said Dr. Bill Wolfe.
     If passed during Wednesday’s board meeting, the Water Authority plans on adding more fluoride by the end of the year.
UPDATE: The Water Authority’s governing board tonight voted not to add supplemental fluoride to the city's water supply. Its members promised in the same resolution to revisit the issue when finalized recommendations on an optimal fluoride level are released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control. More

Water Authority votes on adding fluoride to drinking supply