Greater Johnstown Water Authority votes to remove fluoride from water

JOHNSTOWN- The Greater Johnstown Water Authority made a motion Thursday to remove fluoride from city water.

The GJWA unanimously voted 11-0 to remove it.

This vote comes after months of controversy on the topic.

“I knew there would be pros and cons. I’m very satisfied and I think the board is very satisfied with the outcome of it,” said Ed Cernic Sr., GJWA president.

Board members said they weighed their options and took the community's thoughts and concerns into consideration, leading them to decide to remove the chemical.

Fluoride is known for fighting cavities and tooth decay and is what experts call a ‘naturally occurring mineral’ added to water.

A letter was first sent out to residents in May where the water authority first notified customers about its considering to remove fluoride.

On May 31, a public meeting was held where customers were invited to attend to voice their opinions on the subject.

At the meeting, some argued fluoride was a harmful chemical that shouldn’t be forced on customers to drink or pay for.

Others, including local dentists, said without it, residents will end up paying the price in the long run and said it was crucial for children.

On Thursday, board members voted to remove the fluoride without hesitation.

“They get the same benefit out of toothpaste. Most of water going out with fluoride in it goes to car washes or doing something else, it's not necessarily put in your mouth. That's a big factor,” said Cernic.

The next steps will be to remove fluoride from the system. The GJWA manager, Michael Kerr, said it will be out of the system by the end of the year.

Workers will also have to clean out remaining residual from the tank.

“We have to clean buildings up. There's a lot of acid in the buildings, so we have to be very careful. Number one is safety for our employees,” said Cernic.

Overall, according to the GJWA, they received 84 responses from the public where 60 voted to remove fluoride and 24 argued to keep it.

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