Calgary to reintroduce fluoride into municipal water supply

Calgary is set to have fluoride reintroduced into the municipal water supply following a successful vote in council on Monday.

Council voted 13-2 in favour of the motion that was also approved by a majority of Calgarians this fall.

In the 2021 municipal election, 62 per cent of voters said “Yes” to having fluoride reintroduced.

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There’s no exact date for when it will be back in the drinking water, but officials have suggested it could take 18 to 24 months.

Currently, there is already some fluoride in our water supply at levels of 0.1 to 0.4 parts per million (ppm).

Health Canada has recommended an optimal level of fluoride at 0.7 ppm, which is what the city will do once reintroduced.

According to the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADA&C), that 0.7 ppm figure takes into account fluoride that people get from other sources like toothpaste or mouthwash.

Fluoridation in municipal water supply has been endorsed by over 90 professional health organizations that include Health Canada, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Dental Association, the Canadian Medical Association and the World Health Organization.

Aside from health benefits, Alberta Health Services and the ADA&C also say fluoridation comes with social and economic benefits.

AHS says water fluoridation will help protect the most vulnerable because tap water is accessible to 100 per cent of people connected to the municipal water supply, regardless of age, socioeconomic status, education, income, race, or ethnicity.