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Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill banning fluoride additives in Florida drinking water
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Since the 1950's cities and counties all over the US have been adding fluoride to their drinking water supplies to promote dental health. In Bay County, that process will soon end. Water department officials say they will use the supply of fluoride that's still on hand, then discontinue the process. The move will save the county a small amount of money. Florida controversy over fluoride removal from water systems 'So, we spend around $100,000 a year on the actual chemical that we had. So, we know we're going to save that money right off the bat. As soon as we stop feeding it, we hope to stop purchasing it. So that's how we got that number,' Water Division Superintendent Sean Lathrop said. Fluoride is in toothpaste and used by dentists for teeth cleanings. About 75% of the nation's water systems add naturally occurring minerals, like fluoride, to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. Lathrop says the removal of fluoride will not affect the water quality. 'It's not going to change the water quality at all. We're still going to strive to give the best quality water that we can, and that's what we're going to continue to do,' Lathrop said. REAL ID enforcement begins, travelers without are still allowed to fly Officials say all they have to do is flip a switch to stop adding fluoride to the water tanks. For now, they're letting the existing supply run its course. 'We have a big tank and pumps that feed it into our system and inject it into the system. And we'll just basically once it's empty, we just turn it off,' Lathrop added. Once that's gone, it will take 30 days for the fluoride to work its way out of the system. Lathrop says the transition will not affect the price of water bills. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Bay County officials to close Deer Point drawdown gates
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay County officials are preparing to close the Deer Point Dam drawdown gates on March 5. Deer Point Lake's normal elevation is about five feet. The gates opened in November, lowering it to two feet, and during freezing weather, it can fall an additional six inches. Enjoy acoustic music at Downtown Panama City The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends the drawdown and it's been down for decades. 'So, the purpose of the drawdown is to help control the vegetation in the reservoir and Deer Point. So, the goal is to keep the coverage of the vegetation down as low as possible. From a recreational standpoint, you know, people trying to boat in the lake it can, you know, clog up stuff on your boat missile or boat engine but from the water treatment side of things, we have to pull the organics, which is grass and stuff like that out of the water during the treatment process. So, it makes the treatment process a little easier for us,' Bay County Water Division Superintendent Sean Lathrop said. After last month's historic snowstorm and cold temperatures. The drawdown is expected to be a success. The freezing temperatures kill the overgrown and invasive vegetation around our waterways. 'The hope is with the way the cold weather snap that came in is really going to affect the growth. And with that being exposed, the root systems will be killed off. And then with the reservoir coming back up at this time, that will keep it cleaner edge to Deer Point,' Commissioner Doug Moore said. The weed removal also helps protect the county's drinking water and the drawdown is beneficial to residents on the lake. 'On the homeowner side of things that give people a chance to repair any seawalls or docks that they have issues with, you know, cleaning up for a homeowner is also available to do this for this time,' Lathrop said. Road closures, parking announced for St. Andrews Mardi Gras Parade Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation will have detailed results on the impact of the drawdown by the beginning of the summer. Officials say once the gates close, it will take five to seven days for the lake to return to normal water level. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
