Mayor calls for public vote on hot issue of removing fluoride from Pasco water
The Pasco City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on whether to eliminate or keep fluoride in the city’s water. But now the mayor is proposing a third option.
Mayor David Milne told the Tri-City Herald last week he will propose that the council consider putting the measure on the ballot next year for all voters to weigh in on.
A recent survey showed a majority of the 2,100 who responded, or about 52%, favored keeping the fluoride. About 49% supported removing it.
Milne said he’s opposed to putting chemicals in water and believes fluoride is harmful to health overall. But after two public hearings and the survey, he’s been inundated with feedback and was surprised by the response.
“I had no idea it was this big of an issue,” he said.
For that reason, he wants to propose the public vote.
Advocates say fluoride benefits public health by reducing tooth decay. Many who have spoken out are local dentists and healthcare workers.
They have stressed how the removal of fluoride would disproportionately affect families with low incomes who face financial barriers to regular dental care.
Reversing course will be “hardest felt by Medicaid beneficiaries, including children and the most vulnerable Americans who often cannot afford routine oral care,” Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Association, said in a news release earlier this year.
“Fluoride has done amazing things to help dental care in the community... (It) is an essential part of maintaining the health and well-being of our community,” Erin Fishburn said in response to the city’s survey.
But others who oppose fluoride believe it can be unsafe and harmful to health.
“It’s impossible to regulate how much fluoride we get when it is in our water. It should be removed,” commented Cassie Hackney.
“Fluoride is a known neurotoxin and should never be in our water system,” said Michelle Bodine.
Milne, Mayor Pro-Tem Charles Grimm and Councilman Leo Perales have said in public meetings they favor removing fluoride.
Some on the council also has discussed exposure to high levels of fluoride potentially causing cognitive development issues.
However, the National Institutes of Health has said there is insufficient data to determine if the low fluoride level of 0.7 milligrams per liter currently recommended for U.S. community water supplies has a negative effect on children’s IQ.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. Almost all water contains some fluoride.
The mineral has been added to Pasco’s water since 1998.
The 0.7 milligrams per liter standard set by the federal Department of Health and Human Services is equal to about three drops of water in a 55-gallon barrel.
Pasco’s 2024 water quality report says the city took hundreds of water samples last year and fluoride measured an average of 0.64 milligrams per liter.
In the Tri-Cities, only Pasco fluoridates its water. Kennewick and Richland water has too little naturally occurring fluoride to detect, and the cities do not add it.
West Richland found fluoride levels at two of the five city wells exceeded state standards in 2024. High levels of fluoride can cause discoloration of permanent teeth, usually in children under 9.
City’s public survey
Between June 30 and Oct. 1, Pasco invited residents to respond to an official survey and share their feedback on whether the city should continue adding fluoride to its public water supply.
It received the highest level of participation of any survey in recent history for the city of 82,000.
About 2,000 who live, work or attend school in Pasco completed the survey. Another 90 from other areas responded.
“Pasco has invested in state-of-the-art water treatment processes that reflect our commitment to public health and safety. This is something to be proud of — not undone out of fear or misinformation. I urge you to take a thoughtful, science-based approach,” said a fourth-generation Pasco resident who remained anonymous in the survey.
“I lived in Pasco from 1979 until 2023 before moving to Kennewick and endorsed adding fluoride to the drinking water when it was first proposed. I know the benefits and continue to support it,” said Mike Berriocha.
Many felt the decision was politically motivated.
“The removal of fluoride is another ‘anti-science’ issue much like anti-vaccination. This is not a science/health issue, but a cultural war issue from the right,” Steve Ard said.
The city also solicited feedback that included direct phone and email notifications to utility customers, social media and radio announcements, utility bill inserts, press releases and information online with graphics translated in English, Spanish and Russian.
Two public input sessions were held on Aug. 5 and Sept. 17. About 15 people attended the first session and 20 attended the September meeting.
Members of Pasco City Council did not attend the first public input session, but six attended the session in September to hear feedback.
Survey numbers
- 51.5% (1,078) opposed removing fluoride from Pasco’s public water supply
- 48.5% (1,017) supported removing fluoride
- 2,095 survey responses were received.
- 95.7% (2,005) indicated that they live, work or attend school in Pasco
- 55.7% did not provide written comments
Fluoride in Tri-Cities
Studies have shown flouride helps prevent cavities and promotes dental health.
More than 70% of the U.S. population that uses public drinking water systems has access to water with fluoride levels that prevent tooth decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Washington State Department of Health does not require public water systems to add fluoride to drinking water. The State Board of Health oversees the state’s fluoridation of drinking water rule.
The Department of Health must be notified 90 days before a city makes a decision to remove or add fluoride.
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
