BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — A judge in Jefferson County has dismissed a legal challenge brought by the City of Birmingham against Central Alabama Water, dissolving a temporary restraining order and denying a request for further injunctive relief in an ongoing dispute over water fluoridation.
In a final order issued April 20, Circuit Judge Frederic Allen Bolling found that while Central Alabama Water technically violated state law when it announced in March that fluoridation had already ceased, the violation stemmed from what the court described as an “incomplete” or “clumsy” press release rather than intentional misconduct.
The dispute centers on Central Alabama Water’s effort to discontinue adding fluoride to its drinking water system, which serves roughly 620,000 people across more than 50 communities. The utility had submitted a formal notice on March 12, 2026, indicating its intent to end fluoridation within the 90-day period required under Alabama law. However, a March 20 press release stated that fluoridation had already stopped, prompting intervention from state health officials and the court…