Hanover council to hold ‘final’ vote on fluoride in drinking water
Hanover officials will decide the fate of fluoride in the Hanover area’s drinking water with a final vote during the May 20 meeting of their Finance and Personnel Committee.
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hanover’s public water system first began adding fluoride to the water in 1973 after more than two decades of debate at the local level, archives from The Evening Sun show. Since 1950, the practice of water fluoridation has been endorsed by federal officials and a range of health agencies to prevent tooth decay.
While council had been expected to vote on the proposed removal of fluoride from the Hanover water system in votes on May 20 as well as during the full meeting of council on May 27, the May 20 agenda noted that the May 20 vote was instead the “final action” for the proposal.
“Item will not carry to council meeting for approval,” the agenda item reads.
Recently, during the May meeting of Hanover’s Water & Sewer Committee, the committee elected to simply pass the vote to the Finance and Personnel Committee, rather than to hold a committee vote to recommend the motion in either direction.
The May meeting of the Finance & Personnel Committee will be held at 7 p.m. on May 20, 2026, in the Public Administration Building at 33 Frederick Street in downtown Hanover.
Finance and Personnel Committee meetings are typically livestreamed on the Hanover Borough municipal Facebook page, with recordings later available on CommunityMedia.net.
Advertisement
An initial vote on the permanent removal of fluoride had been postponed during the March Finance and Personnel Committee meeting, in which the council requested additional information from staff and further public notice.
Previously reported: Hanover council delays decision on ending use of fluoride in water
More: Moul, Pratt secure victories in 91st Pa. State House primaries
The divided 5-5 vote by council resulted in a tie-breaking vote by mayor Heidi Hormel, who voted to postpone while requesting additional opportunity for public notice and input.
During a town hall held in April, three-quarters of attendees who provided public comment had expressed support for continuing to add fluoride to Hanover’s drinking water.
About an hour to the west of Hanover in Franklin County, Chambersburg Borough’s council recently voted five against five on the removal of Fluoride on May 12, 2026, which resulted in a tie-breaking vote by the mayor of Chambersburg to remove the mineral from their water system.
Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for The Evening Sun. Contact him at hjones@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Hanover council to vote on fluoride in water on May 20
