The city will not be talking fluoride at its next meeting with Aquatera. Last fall, council had asked staff to find more information on how other municipalities in Alberta decide whether or not to add the substance to their drinking water.
They found that of the 22 places they surveyed 13 add fluoride and nine choose not to. The population is almost split down the middle with 48 per cent receiving fluoridated water and 52 per cent not. Here in Grande Prairie, Aquatera manages a fluoride concentration between 0.6 and 0.8 parts per million, which is slightly below recommended levels.
A motion by Councillor Chris Thiessen to send the issue to the shareholders meeting was voted down. The intention was to decide whether to hold a referendum during the next municipal election