Smiles in the West Valley might get a little brighter in the next few years.
On Nov. 15, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors unanimously voted to adopt new policy language to support fluoridation at each of the district’s three water treatment plants in Los Gatos, east San Jose and the Almaden Valley and three district-owned water supply wells located in Campbell.
According to a release from the district, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. Studies from the CDC show that widespread community water fluoridation prevents cavities and improves the health of teeth.
“We’re a water district. We’re not experts in dental health at all,” said Marty Grimes, program administrator for Santa Clara Valley Water District. “The various organizations that came to the water district presented evidence that it helps reduce and reverse tooth decay in children and in the elderly.”
The district’s decision comes after several months of studying the issue and listening to the comments of community members. Two public workshops were held on fluoridation and the district received dozens of letters on the topic.
Grimes added that this is kind of old news for most of the country.
“San Jose is the largest city in the U.S. that isn’t optimally fluoridated,” he said. “It’s very much widespread. It’s in most cities in the U.S. and has been for decades.”
The district’s new policy is a start, but local water won’t be fluoridated overnight.
“It will take a few years; I’m not sure how many,” Grimes said. “We have to do the planning and design and construction of our three different treatment plants and our well field.”
But before any of the physical work can begin, the money has to be pinned down.
“Looking at funding is the first step,” Grimes said. “We’re not going to get very far until we identify funding.”
The district will coordinate with The Health Trust, a local nonprofit organization, and the California Department of Public Health to identify potential funding sources for the capital and ongoing operations and maintenance costs. According to a release from the district, early estimates are that the capital costs will range from $4.4 million to $9.5 million, and annual operations and maintenance will cost about $836,000.
“It will take some time to identify funding sources,” Grimes said. “We don’t really know what the financial picture will look like.”
He added that placing the burden on residents is not part of the plan.
“It’s really important to our board members to find as much funding outside of water rates as possible,” he said.
Grimes also explained that the district’s action on fluoridation shows service above and beyond. As a water wholesaler, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is not subject to the California law that requires water providers with more than 10,000 connections fluoridate when funding is available.
However, the water district board recognized that fluoridation at the three treatment plants is more effective and efficient than each of the district’s retail water agencies fluoridating its treated water. And exactly who will receive this fluoridated water in the future?
“That question is really complex,” Grimes said. “Our water system in this county has several sources. One is treatment plants, another is groundwater, and many areas get a blend of treated water and groundwater. The northern part of the county gets water from the Hetch Hetchy system, which is already fluoridated, and the San Jose Municipal Water System already fluoridates for the Evergreen neighborhood in San Jose.”
Fluoridating water at the district’s treatment plants would greatly increase the number of county residents receiving fluoridated water, but some areas of San Jose would remain without fluoride and much of the central part of the county would receive varying blends of non-fluoridated groundwater and fluoridated treated water.