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A new project to replace portions of fluoride feed piping and equipment will lead to the shut down of fluoride supplies for MetroWest and Metro Boston communities beginning in late February, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
The MWRA expects the shutdown to take three months or less while the almost 20-year-old chemical feed system for fluoride is updated, including replacing large portions of piping.
The Department of Public Health Oral Health Office and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection both approved of the fluoride shutdown. After the work is completed, the new system will be tested to decrease the risk of issues and ensuring worker safety.
People living in affected areas do not have to take any special action, the MWRA said, but the shutdown is a good reminder to maintain a good oral hygiene regime.
Massachusetts's water supply has been fluoridated since the 1970s, maintaining a target fluoride level of 0.7 parts per million.
Click here to read the CDC's recommended good oral health practices.
Click here to read about the benefits of fluoride in drinking water is available at the Office of Oral Health website at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
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