MA Fluoride Feed To Be Shut Down For Months: MWRA

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Dozens of communities will be without fluoride for a few months beginning in late February due to a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority fluoride feed shutdown, the water utility said in a news release.

The shutdown is expected to last around 90 says and is due to a project to replace piping and equipment at the Carroll Water Treatment Plant serving MetroWest and Greater Boston communities, according to the MWRA.

The agency added that while fluoride is important for dental health, officials say the short-term shutdown will not require changes in daily oral hygiene practices.

According to the state of Massachusetts' Office of Oral Health, fluoride inhibits the breakdown of enamel and enhances its resistance to tooth decay.

"For 75 years, community water fluoridation (CWF) has been widely recognized as a safe and effective public health intervention to prevent tooth decay," the office wrote on its website.

As a result, communities across the country and the world adjust the fluoride concentration in their public water supply to the optimal level of 0.7 ppm for tooth decay prevention as recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service, according to the office.

The Carroll Water Treatment Plant provides drinking water wholly or in part to dozens of local communities, including:

• Arlington
• Bedford
• Belmont
• Boston
• Brookline
• Burlington
• Canton
• Dedham
• Framingham
• Lexington
• Malden
• Marblehead
• Marlborough
• Medford
• Melrose
• Milton
• Needham
• Newton
• Northborough
• Norwood
• Peabody
• Quincy
• Reading
• Somerville
• Stoneham
• Stoughton
• Swampscott
• Waltham
• Watertown
• Weston
• Westwood
• Wilmington
• Woburn