South Dakota cities could stop fluoridating drinking water under bill passed by committee
Sen. Carl Perry, R-Aberdeen, speaks with lawmakers on the House floor during the governor's budget address on Dec. 3, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
A bill that would make fluoridation of drinking water optional for South Dakota cities is headed to the Senate chamber.
Cities add fluoride to tap water to prevent tooth decay and strengthen teeth, in South Dakota and throughout the United States. Research shows that community water fluoridation reduces cavities by around 25%, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls water fluoridation one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
Senate Bill 133, introduced by Aberdeen Republican Sen. Carl Perry, would allow municipalities controlling a public water supply or a person controlling a private water supply to determine the amount of fluoride in their drinking water. Currently, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources regulates fluoride levels and testing methods
The bill would cap water fluoridation at 4 milligrams per liter, the limit already imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. South Dakota cities would not be required to include any fluoride in the municipal drinking water, so some could discontinue the practice.
Skeptics of fluoridation benefits have raised concerns about excessive fluoride consumption for years. President Donald Trump tapped outspoken water fluoridation opponent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Senate has yet to confirm his nomination.
Perry told lawmakers that the federal government could change fluoridation policy under Kennedy's influence, so South Dakota 'should be ahead of that.'
Several dental and medical organizations opposed the bill, saying it would lead to more health problems in the state. South Dakota Municipal League, South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems, South Dakota Department of Health, and South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources also opposed the bill.
Ensuring access to safe and reliable drinking water is the 'primary' public health initiative for the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said Mark Mayer, water director for the department.
'We feel that community water system fluoridation is one of the safest, most beneficial and cost effective ways to prevent tooth decay,' Mayer said.
The legislation passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee 6-1 'without recommendation' after an attempt to defeat the bill failed. That means that a majority of senators must agree to place it on the calendar before it's debated, said Brookings Republican Sen. Tim Reed, otherwise the bill dies.
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