Fluoridation of our Drinking Water 

You may have noticed drinking water fluoridation is a topic in the news lately. One news story was about a ruling by a U.S. District Court which required Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials to take regulatory action over concerns about potential health risks from currently recommended levels of fluoride in a community’s drinking water supply. The ruling did not stop or reduce the use of fluoride in public drinking water supplies. This ruling “does not conclude with any certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,” said the District Court Judge. EPA Link: EPA Will Expeditiously Review New Science on Fluoride in Drinking Water | US EPA

Like many communities across the nation, the City of Yuma fluoridates its drinking water. The decision to fluoridate Yuma’s drinking water was the community’s decision through a voter ballot initiative on November 6, 2001.

The City of Yuma Utilities Department does not advocate for or against the addition of fluoride, we simply comply with the voter mandate. Changes to the fluoridation program, including stopping fluoridation altogether, would require a vote by our citizens or a mandate from our primary regulatory agency.

Fluoridation has long been considered a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay according to the American Dental Association (ADA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Medical Association (AMA). The CDC states that over 60 percent of the people in the United States receive fluoridated water. CDC link: About Community Water Fluoridation | Fluoridation | CDC

The City of Yuma fluoridates up to the recommended level of 0.7 mg/L, thus keeping our drinking water significantly below both the EPA established National Secondary Standard of 2.0 mg/L and the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4.0 mg/L.