The City of Plymouth may be the next community to consider removing fluoride from its drinking water. Last week, the owner of a local naturopathic health business raised the issue with the city’s Board of Works. You can navigate here to know more about it. Joyce Maxwell-Downs told the board that although the chemical is added to improve dental health, it may also cause some health risks that people may not realize.
Specifically, she says there have been studies linking fluoride to various neurological disorders, “I’m educating the people here in this town. They have the right to know what they’re putting in their bodies. I’m asking the City of Plymouth, like many other small towns have already done, remove the fluoride from your water supply. I’ll be running a petition in my office with the known numbers of people that are asking for me to be here tonight. I’m asking that you remove the fluoride from the city water.” She also pointed out that once fluoride is placed in the water, it’s very difficult for residents to remove it, if they choose.
However, Plymouth Utility Superintendent Donnie Davidson disputed the claim that many communities are removing fluoride. He says by adding fluoride to its water, the city of Plymouth is simply following the recommendations provided by experts on the topic. “The City of Plymouth supplements it with their water supply based upon a recommendation of the Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana State Board of Health, Health and Human Services, Center of Disease Control and Prevention, American Dental Association, American Waterworks Association, and American Medical Association,” he said. “We’re not the experts that can perform studies on this, so we rely heavily on these agencies and their recommendations on what to do.”
He added that during the last few years, Plymouth has reduced the concentration of fluoride in its water, based on EPA recommendations. While Davidson feels the benefits to residents’ dental health outweigh the risks, he reminded the board that the addition of fluoride is completely optional for the city. He said the city spends 50-cents per person each year to add the fluoride. Board members agreed to do some more in-depth research on the issue before making any decisions.
The Plymouth Board of Works will be meeting again this evening. During tonight’s meeting, the city will open quotes for pickup trucks for the water and wastewater departments. Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt will also present a list of recommended sidewalk projects for 2016, and City Attorney Sean Surrisi will provide an update on discussions taking place with the owners of the city’s railroads about repairing some of the rough crossings.
This evening’s Board of Works meeting starts at 6:00, followed by the Common Council meeting at 6:30.
