Fluoridation Wastes Our Money
In response to an Oregon Public Records Act (ORPA) request dated June 2025, the City of Florence Public Works Department manager stated that the department purchases 88 50-pound bags (4400 pounds) of sodium fluoride per year for the community water fluoridation program. The cost of the sodium fluoride was $6,556 plus shipping and handling. The cost of the shipping and handling was not specified.
In addition to the sodium fluoride, the Public Works Department also purchased 2 bags of sodium hexametaphospate, an anti-corrosion agent used to counter the corrosive action of fluoride, for $350.56 per year.
Maintenance and operational costs are not tracked and estimated at $5 per month ($60 per year). Other related costs are not tracked and were not reported. (Click here to view the OPRA response)
Presumably these cost figures are for the previous fiscal year (2024), although the respondent did not specify. Factoring in inflation, increased shipping costs, and the untracked related costs for implementation, it is a reasonable extrapolation that the community water fluoridation program will cost Florence taxpayers around $10,000 in 2026.
This is literally flushing $10K down the toilet for something that does not do what it is supposed to do, is unethical, and pollutes the environment.
In 2025 the Florence City Council had to add a “public safety fee” onto our utility bills to help pay for police and EMS services provided to city residents and visitors. Here’s an idea: pull the plug on the community water fluoridation program and use the money to pay for the cops and paramedics.