Some University of Calgary students are urging other students to vote in favour of restoring fluoride in the city’s drinking water in this fall’s election.
Fluoride naturally occurs in some foods and is found in the Bow and Elbow Rivers at a concentration between 0.1 and 0.4 mg/L. Health Canada recommends water be fluoridated to a level of 0.7 mg/L to prevent tooth decay.
The city has said it saves about $750,000 a year by not adding fluoride to the water, and that reintroducing the costs would be added to the city’s water utility rate.