Committee in favor of holding off on water fluoridation until completion of new plant
By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
At its meeting Monday night, the City of Elkhorn Municipal Services and Utilities committee voted in favor of holding off on adding fluoride to city water until the completion of a new water treatment plant at the north end of the town.
With Mike Kluck replacing Gary Payson, Sr., on the City Council, Alderman Greg Huss took over as chairman of the committee this week. Kluck also sits on the committee.
Alyssa Ricketts, southeastern Wisconsin community water fluoridation specialist and Wisconsin Oral Health Coalition project manager, briefly presented the case to the committee at its March 23 meeting. Alderman Gary Payson, Sr., said at that meeting the city previously added fluoride to the water, though with the age of the treatment plants the city has the city determined not to replace the equipment at the Centralia plant.
Utilities Director John Murphy said Monday night to reintroduce fluoride back into city water at this time, it would cost about $8,000 at both the Lakeland and Centralia water treatment plants, a total of $16,000, just for equipment.
Additionally, it would cost the city about $5,400 a year for the chemical itself based on current pumpage.
Murphy said Monday night he recommends the city holds off until a decision has been made on the new water treatment plant on the north end of the city, noting when they submit plans for it, they would include fluoridation plans for the whole system.
Murphy said he doesn’t think the city should waste money putting equipment in at both the Lakeland and Centralia plants, as they can’t only put it in at the Lakeland Plant and the intent is to take the Centralia Plant offline in the future.
“Personally, I don’t want to add something that we’re going to take down in a year anyways,” Huss said Monday night.
A motion to hold off on fluoridation of city water by Hoss Rehberg was passed unanimously by the committee.
