WSSC Water is reducing fluoride in the water it delivers to 1.9 million customers because of supply chain issues caused by the Mideast war.
The utility said Tuesday it’s making the reduction at Potomac and Patuxent water filtration plants, serving its customers in Maryland’s Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, from 0.7 to 0.4 milligrams per liter.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said the supply chain issue involves the chemical hydrofluorosilicic acid, which is used to fluoridate community water supplies. Fluoridation is intended to help protect residents from tooth decay.
In addition to a drop in domestic production, output from other sources has fallen. This includes a supplier in Israel that has “experienced significant operational impacts,” WSSC Water said.
“This is a temporary adjustment driven solely by supply availability. We remain committed to maintaining safe, high-quality drinking water and will restore optimal fluoride levels as soon as supply conditions stabilize,” WSSC Water Director of Production Ben Thompson said.
The Washington Aqueduct, the federally operated supplier of water to 1 million customers, has not responded to a request for comment from The Washington Times regarding possible fluoride supply issues or cutbacks.
In addition to WSSC, Lititz, Pennsylvania, 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia, stopped fluoridating its water from March 21 through March 26 due to problems with securing hydrofluorosilicic acid.
The town’s officials did not say whether the shortfall was due to lower domestic output or problems getting it from abroad.
