Calgary adding fluoride into water in 2024

More than a year after Calgarians voted to reintroduce fluoride into the city’s water supply, it still hasn’t been added.

Calgarians voted 61 per cent in favour of the move in a 2021 plebiscite, beating out those who opposed it by nearly 65,000 votes.

That vote overturned a 2011 city council decision to remove the mineral from municipal drinking water.

The city says it expects fluoridation infrastructure to be in place by June 2024, nearly two years after council directed city administration to implement it. Work is progressing on installing the infrastructure, however, as well as securing a reliable source for fluoride.

“The timeline also takes into account current supply chain issues, which are responsible for any delays,” a statement from the City of Calgary reads.

Health benefits of water fluoridation

Fluoride is already naturally in water. The city says it’s in the Bow and Elbow rivers in varying amounts throughout the year.

Currently, there is already some fluoride in our water supply at levels of 0.1 to 0.4 parts per million (ppm). However, Health Canada recommends an optimal level of fluoride at 0.7 ppm.

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.

“Studies have shown that it decreases the rate of tooth decay by up to 25 per cent in children and in adults,” said Dr. Bruce Yaholnitsky, the former president of the ADA&C. “Comparing just Edmonton and Calgary, you can see there is a significant difference in the decay rate.”

Fluoridating the municipal water supply has been endorsed by over 90 professional health organizations including 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 (AHS) 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.

Calgary’s fluoridation history

According to the City of Calgary, Calgarians voted against adding fluoride to its drinking water four times in 1957, 1961, 1966, and 1971.

In 1989, citizens voted to add fluoride to the city’s water supply. By 1991 infrastructure was in place and water was being fluoridated at a rate of 1.0 milligrams per litre.

Years later in 1998, experts recommended reducing the levels of fluoride in the water to 0.7 milligrams per litre. The change was made in 1999 after another city-wide vote where Calgarians voted to keep the mineral in the water.

In 2011 city council voted to stop water fluoridation. After the 2021 plebiscite, Calgary voted to bring it back.

For more information about fluoride in our drinking water visit the city’s website.