San Jose, CA, has lost its title as the largest U.S. city that does not fluoridate its drinking water.
Starting Monday, December 12, the Santa Clara Valley Water District will begin adding 0.7 parts per million of fluoride to the water that goes to three San Jose neighborhoods and three surrounding cities, according to a San Jose Mercury News article. More than 1.1 million people who live in Santa Clara County will have fluoride in their water by 2020.
The fluoridation project was approved by the water district in 2011, but the district's three drinking water treatment plants had to be retrofitted to accept the fluoride, at a cost of $6.2 million. The retrofitting was paid for in part through donations from the Health Trust ($1 million), First 5 Santa Clara County ($900,000), and the California Dental Association Foundation ($500,000).
