City of Abilene stops adding fluoride to water, citing recent court decision

ABILENE, Texas — During a media briefing Monday morning, the City of Abilene announced they will no longer add fluoride in the water.

City Manager Robert Hanna said they will immediately stop adding fluoride in the water as an abundance of caution.

The decision was made based on a recent federal court ruling in California that may result in changes to the Environmental Protection Agency’srecommendations regarding fluoride levels in drinking water.

The court ruling was based on findings from theNational Toxicology Program’s “systematic review of the published scientific literature on the association between fluoride exposure and neurodevelopment and cognition.”

In a press release, the city stated it follows federal standards and theAmerican Dental Association’s recommendation of maintaining fluoride levels at 0.7 parts per million. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention water fluoridation keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities by about 25 percent.

Out of an abundance of caution, the City said it is pausing fluoridation because of the potential changes to the EPA’s regulations of fluoride levels or introduction of warning labels.

Carol Crockett agrees with the city’s decision.

“I know a lot of people don’t drink tap water,” Crockett said. “They buy a lot of their water. The young are the future. They’re dealing with a lot of things now as it is. I think it’s a great idea to be focused on the young children.”

Mayor Weldon Hurt and City Manager Robert Hanna discussed these changes over the weekend and agreed a temporary suspension would do no harm and provide an opportunity for the City Council to provide further direction in light of recent court rulings regarding fluoride.