Local towns to get fluoridated water in the fall Local towns to get fluoridated water in the fall (June 22, 2005)

Starting in September, more than 150,000 people in South San Mateo County will be getting fluoride in their water for the first time.

County residents from Belmont to the Santa Clara County line will join the 64 percent of people getting water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) who have been drinking fluoridated water for years. San Francisco and San Mateo County north of Belmont have had fluoridated water since the early 1950s. Palo Alto and Stanford also fluoridate their water.

Locally, residents who get their water from the California Water Service Company, Menlo Park Water Department, Los Trancos County Water District, and Skyline County Water District will be receiving fluoridated water.

Fluoride, which prevents tooth decay in children, will be added at optimal levels of 0.8 to 1 milligram per liter, wrote San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow in a May 27 letter to mayors and other public officials.

"At this level, fluoridation has been proven safe and effective in preventing tooth decay," Dr. Morrow wrote. "Customers will not notice a change in the taste, smell or appearance of their water."

Fluoridation is being carried out in response to state laws passed by the Legislature in 1994 and 2004, Dr. Morrow noted.

People whose children are taking fluoride supplements for their teeth will be able to give them up. "Drinking optimally fluoridated water on a regular basis makes the use of fluoride tablets or drops unnecessary," Dr. Morrow wrote.

The health department will be notifying local healthcare providers, dentists, pharmacists, schools, and childcare providers when fluoridation is set to occur.

Water fluoridation has wide support from local, state and national public health organizations, Dr. Morrow said, including the San Mateo County Health Department, the California Department of Health Services, the California Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For information, visit the SFPUC at sfwater.org/fluoride; the California Department of Health Services at dhs.ca.gov/pps/ddwem/fluoridation/default.htm; or the American Dental Association at ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/index.asp.

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