Fort Worth is leaving the fluoride in your tap alone for now, keeping its drinking water at the current dose while Washington sorts out the science.
City officials told council members they will hold the line at the federal target of about 0.7 milligrams per liter, which matches guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That wait-and-see approach comes as a national fight over fluoride’s risks and benefits heats up again.
At a recent council work session, city water staff said they do not plan to touch local fluoride requirements unless federal health or environmental agencies order a change. Water-services director Chris Harder reminded council members that Fort Worth has followed federal fluoridation guidance since the 1960s and warned that any new federal standard could affect about 1.5 million people, including 33 wholesale customers that buy treated water from the city. Councilmember Macy Hill, who in February asked for a deeper look at fluoride, was told staff will bring a full briefing after federal reviews are finished, according to the Fort Worth Report.
Federal science and reviews
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the middle of a human-health toxicity assessment of fluoride as it reexamines national drinking-water standards, according to the EPA…