How a global fluoride shortage is affecting Maine’s water systems
Michael Broadbent, superintendent of the Auburn Water and Sewer District, points out the machinery for monitoring fluoride levels Wednesday at the Lewiston Auburn drinking water plant in Auburn. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)
Global supply chain disruptions have forced several Maine water districts, including the state’s largest public water supply, to temporarily stop adding cavity-fighting fluoride to local drinking water.
In Lewiston and Auburn, storage tanks that usually hold thousands of gallons of their fluoride mixture liquid sit empty. But they aren’t the only ones to fall victim to the shortage — Portland and Waterville-area systems temporarily halted fluoridation last month.
Although both have since resumed normal operations, Portland Water District was forced to stop fluoridation for two weeks and Kennebec Water District for 24 days while waiting for their next shipment of the mineral to arrive, according to district representatives.
“We have already placed an order for our next delivery,” said Michelle Clements, public relations director for Portland Water District. “Given ongoing supply chain challenges, we are now placing orders further in advance to help maintain an adequate supply.”
Related
Nationwide shortage forces Lewiston and Auburn to suspend fluoridation
Together, the two districts supply drinking water to almost 225,000 Mainers. When combined with Lewiston and Auburn, which serve about 40,000 people, that means the national fluoride shortage has affected about one in six Mainers.
Local water managers say the current shortage doesn’t affect water safety; it is strictly a dental health issue. That’s why the state doesn’t require public notification of short-term disruptions, said Robbie Bickford, the water quality manager at Kennebec Water District.
Advertisement
Some water districts say the root of the problem lies thousands of miles away in Israel, a major source of this chemical. Several American suppliers blame the shortage on the war draining Israeli manufacturers of factory workers and causing shipping delays.
But some advocates, like the American Fluoridation Society, say that is not true and blame the shortage on hurricane damage to domestic fluoride manufacturing plants in the eastern U.S. and the redirection of chemicals to the manufacturing of computer chips and solar panels.
Maine is not the only place feeling the pinch. Baltimore and Milwaukee have cut their fluoride levels in half to stretch their remaining supplies. The American Fluoridation Society says reduced dosage is a mistake, and will not provide optimal cavity-fighting protection.
Not all Maine communities are impacted by the shortage, however.
Residents in the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Wells Water District voted to end the practice in 2016, following concerns about “mass-medicating” the public. Kittery voters opted out 40 years ago, with some residents citing allergy concerns.
Boothbay voters opted to keep fluoridating, but only after a heated debate over personal choice.
Advertisement
The impact depends largely on how a district buys and stores its supplies. While some districts were caught off guard, Bangor Water District saw trouble coming and stocked up. In Sanford, water managers said procurement schedules meant they still have a full year’s supply on hand.
Other districts, like the one that serves the Augusta area, use a dry, powder version of fluoride that is easier to find. Some, including Portland and Lewiston, use a liquid called hydrofluorosilicic acid, which is almost entirely imported from international producers.
Fluoride is a mineral found naturally in the soil and water. Since the 1940s, health experts have encouraged cities to add small amounts to drinking water to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. In Maine, 65 water systems currently provide fluoride to about 520,000 people across 133 towns.
While the state doesn’t force towns to add fluoride, those that do must follow strict rules. State regulations set a target level of 0.7 milligrams per liter — about three drops in a 55-gallon barrel.
The shortage comes at a time when federal health officials are taking a critical look at fluoride.
At the urging of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is fast-tracking a review of its risks.
As districts wait for the global supply chain to untangle, they are placing orders much further in advance. Ed Molleo, the executive director of the Maine Water Utilities Association, said supply chain problems could linger through the year — “this thing could have a long tail on it.”
In Auburn, Superintendent Michael Broadbent said he remains ready to flip the switch back on.
“As soon as we get it,” Broadbent said, “we’ll start treating the water with fluoride again.”
Copy the Story Link
Tagged: dental care, infrastructure, public health, water, water safety
Penny is excited to be the Portland Press Herald’s first climate reporter. Since joining the paper in 2016, she has written about Maine’s lobster and cannabis industries, covered state politics and. More by Penelope Overton
