BEAR CREEK - Beginning March 1, Upper Bear Creek Water Treatment Plant, will discontinue adding fluoride into the water supply, which will affect its three water customers - Haleyville, Bear Creek and Phil Campbell.
The Upper Bear Creek board unanimously voted in October, 2025, to discontinue the addition of fluoride into the water supply, after doing some research and finding negative reports on the potentially harmful effects of the mineral in the water supply, Upper Bear Creek officials stated.
Although Upper Bear Creek has added fluoride to its water supply since the plant first opened in the 1970s, they face no requirements either by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management nor the Alabama Department of Public Health mandating that the mineral must stay in the water, emphasized James Loden, manager of the Upper Bear Creek Water Treatment Plant.
Also, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control does not mandate community water fluoridation, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Website.
The U.S. Public Health Service states that a recommended fluoride level is not an enforceable standard, the CDC website also stated.
Upper Bear Creek, based on reports issued in the past four to five years that cited potential dangers with fluoride in human consumption, decided to remove the addition of fluoride from the water. The amount being added is .72 parts per million gallons of water, Loden said.
The above amount, Upper Bear Creek officials noted, was a minute amount being added.
Upper Bear Creek, on an average, pumps out 2.5 to 3 million gallons of water per day, according to Upper Bear Creek officials.
“It is in toothpaste,” said Loden. “It’s in a lot of foods you buy. Back in the 1960s, they did the studies on this and fluoride does help (prevent) cavities.
“All these other studies came out that said it might still be good for your teeth, but it might be hurting other things,” Loden pointed out.
“You’ve got a lot of new studies out,” Loden added
“Upper Bear has also observed water systems in the area and in different states to see their stance on whether or not fluoride should be added to water, he added.
“A lot of your systems are dropping it because they just don’t know the long-term effects of it,” Loden stated.
“We’re just trying to be proactive,” added Upper Bear Creek Board Chairman Tracy Rye.
“I want to drink pure, good water,” Rye added. “Fluoride doesn’t change the taste of the water. It’s just something that’s added. I would rather have just water myself.”
“This is a very minute thing we are doing,” Rye stated.
Upper Bear Creek officials notified the Alabama Department of Public Health about the change. Also, a legal notice is being published in the Alabamian informing the public about the upcoming change, Loden stated. The legal notice began running January 7 and is in today’s edition on page 9.
The legal notice reads, “The Bear Creek Water Treatment Plant will permanently discontinue the addition of hydrofluosilicic acid (fluoride) in the potable drinking water supply beginning March 1, 2026. Natural levels of fluoride will still remain in all water sources being utilized.”
Almost all water contains some naturally occurring fluoride, but usually at levels too low to prevent cavities, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.
The recommended fluoride concentration in drinking water (also called the optimal level) is 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, which is equal to about three drops of water in a 55-gallon barrel, according to the ADPH.
Upper Bear Creek officials have cited some effects from fluoride workers have witnessed, with Loden describing it as very “acidic.”
“If you get it on your skin, it eats the skin off,” Loden pointed out. “If a line leaks or something (leaks out) on concrete, it will eat holes in concrete.”
Upper Bear Creek officials continued that the minute amount of fluoride placed into water at the filter plant is what makes the difference and makes it not acidic to the public.
“Probably, we’re in worst shape from drinking water from a plastic bottle than we are from this fluoride,” Rye added.
“Everybody else is jumping on the band wagon to get rid of this,” Rye pointed out.
As of late 2025, Utah and Florida have both enacted statewide bans on adding fluoride to public drinking water. In Alabama, several cities have taken steps to remove fluoride from the public drinking water supply, including Orange Beach, Madison and Sylacauga.
“Over the years, there have been more and more studies, going toward the bad side of it, instead of the good side,” Loden added.
Some organizations stress fluoride safety
However, there are some organizations that have released statements commending the use of fluoride and stressing its safety.
The Alabama Dental Association, the Alabama Department of Public Health/Oral Health Office, the Alabama Academy of General Dentistry, the Alabama Dental Society, the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama, the Alabama Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Alabama Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, in October, 2025, affirmed their strong support for the continued practice and expansion of community water fluoridation as a safe, effective, and essential public health measure to prevent tooth decay.
“Fluoridation of public water supplies is one of the most successful and cost-effective strategies for improving oral health across all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds,” the statement issued by these groups indicated.
“For more than 75 years, scientific research has consistently demonstrated that optimal levels of fluoride in drinking water significantly reduce the prevalence of tooth decay—one of the most common chronic diseases affecting both children and adults,” the statement continued.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized water fluoridation as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century, with the practice being endorsed by leading national and international health organizations, including the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization.
“It is a practical, cost-effective, and equitable way for communities to improve their residents’ oral health regardless of age, education, or income,” the CDC website stated.
As of 2024, 70 percent of homes, businesses, schools and churches in Winston County receiving water from a public water system received water with fluoride in it, compared to 30 percent that did not, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. In Marion County, 95 percent received water with fluoride added, compared to 5 percent that did not. These numbers are dramatically different in other parts of the state, including Lawrence County, where 6 percent received water with fluoride added and 94 percent did not. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama ranks last in the nation when it comes to the number of dentists per 100,000 people.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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