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Council hears technical briefing on fluoride; no decision taken
Summary
City staff presented a technical review of community water fluoridation, including treatment process, natural fluoride levels and estimated annual chemical costs (~$50,000). Councilmembers requested further expert guidance before considering whether to end fluoridation.
The Fort Myers council on Feb. 18 debated whether the city should consider eliminating community water fluoridation after nearby jurisdictions moved to stop adding fluoride.
Justin Mahone, environmental compliance manager for Public Utilities, gave the council a technical presentation explaining Fort Myers' reverse‑osmosis treatment process, how fluoride occurs naturally in groundwater and how the city currently supplements fluoride with hydrofluorosilicic acid ("HFS"). "Fluoride is a mineral found naturally at varying levels in soil and rocks," Mahone said while outlining sources of fluoride and the city's treatment stages. Mahone told the council fluoridation costs the city about $50,000 per year for chemicals and related maintenance and that eliminating fluoridation would require a corrosion‑control plan revision and a roughly $6,200–$6,500 one‑time study to assess finished water composition and regulator review by FDEP.
Council members asked specific questions about current background fluoride concentrations, which Mahone said average roughly 0.22 parts per million naturally and that the city supplements to reach about 0.7 parts per million. Several council members said they were not ready to make a policy change without additional dental‑public‑health expert guidance and cautioned that neighboring jurisdictions' choices should not automatically determine Fort Myers' path. "If you're unhappy with the price, I understand that... but we need to be better informed," one council member said in the discussion. No motion to remove fluoride was made; council members asked staff to return with further information and expert input if the issue is to be considered for action.
