Will fluoride stay in Manatee’s drinking water? Officials make a decision

Manatee County leaders are bringing the county’s decades-long practice of adding fluoride to drinking water to an end.

Amid a renewed national controversy over fluoride’s safety, Commissioner Amanda Ballard first proposed ending Manatee County’s fluoride program in January.

Public debate at commission meetings reflected national conflict over the issue, with residents and medical professionals who believe that fluoridation is a beneficial public health measure clashing with residents who question its safety.

In a further complication, the county has not been adding fluoride to the water supply since 2021, when staff say the fluoridation system broke down. The cost to replace the system is estimated at $1.5 million to $2 million.

But with a bill in the Florida Legislature poised to create a statewide ban on water fluoridation, county commissioners said that it makes no sense to debate the issue or spend money to fix the system.

Nationwide debate leads to fluoride removal

The fluoride debate was stoked late last year by controversial new guidance from Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo recommending against community water fluoridation. It was based on an interpretation of a recent National Toxicology Program (NTP) report on fluoride safety that found a connection between high levels of fluoride exposure and IQ loss in children. Anti-fluoride advocates have rallied behind the review.

But proponents of fluoride, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and prominent science and medical organizations, say that decades of evidence shows fluoride is safe at the low levels used in the public water supply. Some groups, including The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, argued that the NTP’s report was deeply flawed and lacked evidence to support its conclusions.

Nevertheless, a wave of communities around the state and country have considered removing fluoride following the report. In Florida, more than 20 have voted to remove fluoride since November.

Manatee County ends fluoride program

“Over time, the science has changed. There’s been more data received, and really more negative comments related to the addition of fluoride,” Patrick Shea, Manatee County’s utilities director, told commissioners before Tuesday’s vote. “The addition of fluoride is not a regulatory requirement.”

“I don’t care if we have fluoride or not, honestly,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “This is performative at the end of the day. The state’s about to ban fluoride additives statewide. We, (along) with every other preemption bill, have our hands tied.”

Other commissioners did not discuss their positions for or against water fluoridation.

The board voted 5-1 to end the county’s fluoride program, with Commissioners Bob McCann opposing and Mike Rahn absent.

What happens next?

Shea said staff will deconstruct Manatee County’s fluoride system and halt plans for a replacement. Fluoride is naturally present in Manatee County’s water supply at low levels, so the change will not entirely remove it.

The bill that would ban water fluoridation statewide, Senate Bill 700, is scheduled for a full vote this week as a companion bill moves through the House. Utah passed a similar measure earlier this year, becoming the first state to ban water fluoridation.

Democratic lawmakers are attempting to amend the Florida bill to allow local governments to maintain control over water fluoridation, initiate a statewide study on fluoride’s safety and require local governments that end fluoridation programs to provide free access to fluoride products for low-income communities.

This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 2:45 PM.