Chambersburg council votes to stop adding fluoride in public water

Chambersburg Borough Council voted on party lines Monday night, May 12 with a tiebreaker from the mayor, to end the town’s 62-year-old public water fluoridation program.

Democrats Chadwick Hare (3rd Ward), David Wilson (1st Ward), Curtis Shoup (3rd Ward), Lucinda Butler (3rd Ward) and Andrew Kilbride (5th Ward) voted for the measure to make approximately $224,000 in upgrades at the borough’s water treatment plant in order to continue adding fluoride.

On the other side of the table, Republicans Bill Everly Jr. (5th Ward), Austin Rosebaum (2nd Ward), Sharon Coffman (1st Ward), Jamie Boden (4th Ward) and John Huber (2nd Ward) did not raise their hands.

Following multiple meetings and lengthy public comment periods in which most residents supported keeping fluoride, Mayor Ken Hock voted against the project needed to maintain the fluoridation program.

Hock, a Republican, said he agrees with the science of fluoride and its public health benefits but does not believe the project would be a smart use of money because most people, particularly children, do not drink enough tap water for it to have an impact.

The borough’s Board of Health had recommended approval of the fluoride project. In addition, Wilson organized a public information event last week.

Why was Chambersburg reconsidering fluoride?

In February, council was given the task of deciding whether to spend more than $200,000 on needed updates to the system that adds fluoride to the municipal water supply or pay $12,000 to end the fluoridation program.

Fluoride is one of several chemicals added to the borough’s water supply at the Julio D. Lecuona Water Treatment Plant, located in Greene Township near the source of Conococheague Creek in Michaux State Forest. It is the only optional chemical, Anderson said.

Council previously voted in April to postpone a decision on the updates required to maintain fluoridation due to a shortage caused by volatile market conditions. The borough’s water department supervisor recommended waiting to see the results of a bid for the upcoming contract before voting on the program’s future.

The borough received a bid for fluoride that met its quantity needs at a price similar to previous contracts, water department head Lance Anderson said.

Once Chambersburg’s fluoridation program ends, only two of Franklin County’s more than 30 public water systems will have fluoride.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Chambersburg council votes to stop adding fluoride in public water