City Considers Ending Fluoridation
State health official tells Brookhaven board fluoridation costs have tripled since COVID
A state health department representative told Brookhaven aldermen this week that the cost of fluoridating the city's water supply has risen sharply, as the board weighs whether to continue the program.
Karen Walters, who works in the drinking water program at the Mississippi State Department of Health, addressed the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen on Oct. 21. She said several Mississippi water systems have dropped community water fluoridation since the pandemic because of rising costs. "We have had several water systems, especially since COVID, that have discontinued community water fluoridation... it's just since COVID it's just about tripled in price that it's costing the water systems," Walters said.
Walters told the board the state health department has no grant program available to help offset the expense. "The health department, specifically the state board of health, supports community water fluoridation and would love to see you continue that," she said. "But we also acknowledge that this is the governing body for this public water system." The board took no vote on the matter during Tuesday's meeting.
The rising cost represents a direct financial burden on Brookhaven's water system and its ratepayers, with no state assistance currently available to offset it. While no formal action was taken, the board's inquiry into discontinuation procedures suggests a decision may be forthcoming.