GREENWOOD (KFSM)-A 10 by 12 prefabricated fiberglass structure started pumping fluoride into the city’s water supply on Monday (July 20).
“It took a little bit longer than we thought, but it started today,” Mayor Doug Kinslow said.
This comes after the state legislature passed a law in 2011 requiring water plants that serve more than 5,000 people to add the ingredient to their system.
“It's good for your teeth I think,” Carmalita Egbert, resident said.
When they passed the mandate, state lawmakers said fluoride is a safe and effective method to prevent tooth decay, but some residents aren't convinced.
“Having four children, some being very young, I know it can help with their teeth, but I'm scared of the long term effects of what it can do to their bodies as they grow older,” Bethany Tosh, resident said.
“Most dentists you talk to say it's a good deal, so I don’t know what the problem would be,” Larry Ulmer, resident said.
Mayor Kinslow said the city can see both sides of the issue, but said the city is just following the law.
“If we had a clue or any idea at all that it was harmful we would check into it,” he said. “We just do what we`re told by law to do basically.”
“I'm hoping this is a helpful thing,” Tosh said.
The mayor said the city buys half its water from James Fork, and that plant has always had fluoride in their water.
“It’s really nothing new to the customers of Greenwood,” Mayor Kinslow said. “It's just we've started putting it in our own water today."
The mayor said residents were notified of the change coming on their monthly water bill. The fluoridation process is being funded through grant money.