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Residents urge commission to restore optimal fluoridation to city water
Summary
Two longtime residents and public-health professionals urged the commission to reverse a recent decision to remove fluoridation from Ormond Beach drinking water, citing health benefits and local history of fluoridation since 1958.
Several residents used public comment at the Feb. 18 meeting to urge the commission to restore community water fluoridation.
Jerry Valsic, an engineer who said he spent decades protecting drinking-water systems, asked the commission to reconsider a recent decision to eliminate fluoridation from the municipal supply. Valsic described optimal fluoridation as 0.7 parts per million and said removing it would worsen tooth decay rates among children and increase long-term health and financial burdens.
Amy Valsic, speaking as a resident of the Beachside area and identifying herself as the speaker following Jerry Valsic, repeated that fluoridation has been in Ormond Beach since 1958 and referenced endorsements of community fluoridation by the American Dental Association, the Florida Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC. She urged the commission to reestablish “safe and optimal” fluoridation and, if more technical advice is needed, to reconstitute the city’s environmental committee with qualified experts to advise on the issue.
The speakers framed their comments as public-health concerns and asked the commission to examine the city’s decision in light of dental-health statistics they cited. The commission did not take a vote on the matter during the meeting; commissioners and staff acknowledged the comments and noted the process for further review.
