Fluoride to be reintroduced in Calgary water starting next month

Amir Said · CBC News

· Posted: May 29, 2025 6:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 hours ago

Fluoride volition beryllium reintroduced successful Calgary's drinking h2o starting June 30, astir 3½ years aft Calgarians voted successful favour of fluoridation successful the October 2021 municipal election.

The fluoridation process volition supplement the earthy fluoride successful the Bow and Elbow Rivers, bringing it to "the optimal level of 0.7 milligrams per litre," the metropolis said successful a release.

That's the fluoride level recommended by Health Canada's guidance for assemblage h2o fluoridation. Health Canada is 1 of implicit 90 nationalist and planetary governments and wellness organizations that endorse the fluoridation of drinking water.

Fluoride supports oral wellness by replenishing minerals similar calcium and phosphate connected the aboveground of teeth, making enamel stronger and much resistant to acid, bacteria and bony decay.

The University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine conducted probe connected the taxable successful 2021. It recovered that among Grade 2 students successful Calgary and Edmonton, children successful Calgary were much apt to person cavities than those surviving successful Edmonton, wherever h2o has been fluoridated since 1967.

"Fluoridation benefits the community, particularly those astir susceptible and without entree to dental care," said the city.

Fluoride has nary effect connected the taste, odor oregon quality of drinking water.

Plan years successful the making

The 2021 civic predetermination included a referendum connected fluoridation, and 62 per cent of those who voted expressed enactment for fluoride to beryllium reintroduced to the city's drinking water.

The city's recently elected assembly voted successful favour of it the period aft the election.

Calgary's h2o proviso was archetypal fluoridated successful 1991, with fluoride being added to the city's drinking h2o for 3 decades earlier assembly voted to extremity the process successful 2011, the twelvemonth the city's existing fluoridation infrastructure reached the extremity of its lifecycle.

The 2021 determination resulted successful upgrades to the city's infrastructure opening successful 2023, astir 2 years aft the question was passed, earlier being postponed to 2024 and past postponed to this year.

Those upgrades, including installation of caller fluoride instrumentality astatine the Glenmore and Bearspaw h2o attraction plants, came with a $28.1-million terms tag — and yearly costs of $1 million.

"This translates into little than 10 cents per person, per month. This is already funded done council-approved h2o rates. There is nary enactment from spot taxes," said the city.

According to Alberta Health Services, "every $1 spent connected assemblage h2o fluoridation tin prevention up to $93 per idiosyncratic successful dental attraction costs."

AHS endorses h2o fluoridation "as a foundational nationalist wellness measurement to forestall bony decay and amended oral health."

Calgary joins different Alberta municipalities specified arsenic Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge that person h2o fluoridation.

"The City of Calgary's highest precedence is successful delivering harmless and reliable drinking h2o to citizens wherever we proceed to conscionable oregon execute amended than each drinking h2o regulations," said the city.