Local News

Fluoride won’t be added to Boston-area drinking water during 3-month construction project

Work at the Carroll Water Treatment Plant will halt fluoridation of water to the Boston and MetroWest areas.

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February 22, 2023

1 minute to read

Boston and MetroWest will get a temporary reprieve from their daily dose of fluoride starting next month, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

An estimated three-month construction project to change the fluoride piping at at the Carroll Water Treatment Plant in Marlborough will require the MWRA to temporarily cease fluoridation there starting in March. In the long term, the project will allow for continued fluoride addition to drinking water, the MWRA stated in a press release.

Fluoride is considered one of the most effective measures for reducing tooth decay, and cavities in particular, according to the American Dental Association. But the MWRA says it’s consulted the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the time period should be short enough that people’s teeth will remain unaffected.

MWRA added that people do not need to change their dental care during this time.

The Department of Public Health Oral Health Office and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection also gave their stamp of approval on the shutoff.

Massachusetts has treated the area’s water with fluoride since the 1970s.