We're already fluoridated!

There's been a lot of discussion lately about fluoridated water, since the Portland City Council approved a measure to add the chemical to its water supply on September 12. Because some of the water distributed by Tualatin Valley Water District comes from Portland Water Bureau’s Bull Run source, people have been wondering if that will affect our water.

But surprising to many of us, Cedar Mill lies in the Wolf Creek section of the Tualatin Valley Water District, which has been fluoridated since 1963 after residents voted for it. It is mentioned on our water bills, but who reads those??

Tualatin Valley Water District Commissioner Marilyn McWilliams says, “The part of the district closer to Tigard, the Metzger area, is not fluoridated because that area never voted to have their water fluoridated. If Portland should begin to fluoridate their water, it just means that we will not have to add fluoride to the Bull Run water in the Wolf Creek area as we do now. For those customers who live in the Metzger area, it may be that we will have no choice but to provide fluoridated water to them too, since they receive exclusively Portland Water Bureau water.”

“We have not gotten many decisive answers from the Portland Water Bureau staff because there is a chance a referendum will delay or prevent the fluoridation. So until Portland settles the issue, we will continue providing fluoridated water to the Wolf Creek part of the district, and continue providing non-fluoridated water to the Metzger area. Of course, Beaverton also adopted fluoridation a few years ago, as has Forest Grove. So many people in the Tualatin Valley receive fluoridated water, and some do not.”

Now we know!

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