There are no imminent plans to remove fluoride from the City of Swift Current's drinking water.
Back in December, a conversation at City Council resulted in GM of Infrastructure Greg Parsons stating the city was examining whether to keep adding fluoride to drinking water.
Councillor Courtney Stewart received some feedback on the issue.
"Since then, I've found out how many friends I have in the dental community," Stewart told council. "I've heard from several people."
Stewart referred again to a statement the City released in December about Parsons' statements.
“Further to the brief response provided to a Council question at last night’s Council meeting, the City of Swift Current General Manager of Infrastructure and Operations stated that the matter of fluoridation is being considered and will be reported to Council at a future date. Any potential treatment changes considered will not be imminent, nor implemented without due notice to the public.”
Swift Current City CAO Jim Jones further clarified their position.
"When we talk about fluoride in the water it's not something we take very lightly," Jones said. "The municipality has the complete right to say yes or no. This municipality has always said yes to fluoride within the drinking water. The cost is between $15,000 and $20,000. It is hugely important to kids between the ages of 3 and 16, any adults with cavities or senior citizens."
Jones noted the fluoride treatments are not always part of what benefit packages cover.
"This council has always thought it was really important for the fluoride to be in the water," Jones said. "Until such that we are told not to it will."
The topic first came up at council on December 9th following a question from City Councillor Leanne Tuntland-Wiebe.
"I get asked this all the time and four years ago I asked about it and was told Swift Current uses the minimum amount of fluoride in our water on the scale," said Tuntland-Wiebe.
Parsons confirmed at the time they do use the minimum amount required and added they were investigating the use of fluoride.
Mayor Al Bridal felt more got made out of the exchange than they intended.
"It's just a question asked, and sometimes when you ask a question in a public meeting, somebody gets a hold of it, and you know the sky is falling and that was not the intention," Bridal said. "The intention was just to ask the question and have the conversation."
He noted they wouldn't take any step like removing fluoride from drinking water without extensive study and public consultation.
"We wouldn't take fluoride out next meeting or push a bylaw through with something like that," Bridal said. "We would have the federal government and the provincial government talking to us about it and then we'd have that community discussion about it and decide."