ROLLA, Mo. – The Rolla City Council is considering a proposal to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water, prompted by a recent federal court ruling and renewed public debate over the potential health impacts of fluoridation.

Rolla City Administrator John D. Butz tells FOX 2 the city council has reviewed months of public feedback and plans to submit a summary of around 100 comments during its next meeting on May 19.

After that, the city council could choose to take no action, schedule further discussion, or draft an ordinance to amend city code to either lower or eliminate fluoride levels in the municipal water supply. Many procedural steps remain before any change could be finalized.

Butz says the city council revisits the issue of fluoride removal at least once every decade, often triggered by new studies or recommendations, such as the EPA’s 2015 decision to lower the recommended fluoride drinking water from 1.0 ppm to 0.7 ppm. Rolla followed suit shortly thereafter.

Just last year, the issue began to resurface again. Butz cited an Associated Press report published in Aug. 23, 2024 print edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and titled “Report links excess fluoride to lower IQ in kids.” The AP article summarized a U.S. government review that, for the first time, linked high levels of fluoride exposure – described as twice the recommendation limit – to lower IQ in children.

Researchers described the link as having “moderate confidence,” enough to reignite public debate in Rolla.

In October 2024, two of Rolla’s 12 city council members requested a public discussion on the prospect of removing fluoride. A majority of the council members agreed to explore the matter further. Then, in January, the city council passed a motion to formally consider fluoride removal, which required a 90-day public notification and the launch of an email and phone line for public input.

Now, efforts to potentially remove fluoride are in a holding phase. The two councilmembers who raised the issue last fall are no longer on the council, and six newly-elected members have limited familiarity with previous discussions. For now, the proposal remains on the table.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long credited fluoride with reducing dental cavities and improving oral health, particularly for underserved populations. However, following the aforementioned August 2024 federal ruling, the EPA is now reviewing information on whether fluoride exposure poses cognitive risks to children. U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy has also called on the CDC to stop recommending fluoridation altogether.

As part of its formal review process, the City of Rolla notified both the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on the possibility of changing its fluoride regulations. Butz says the DNR took a neutral stance, while a DHSS representative who advocates for water fluoridation addressed the council to share information on its public health benefits.

Butz says removing fluoride from Rolla’s water system would likely have little financial impact, but it could affect children’s dental health, especially among lower-income families.

While the issue returns to the council later this month, it remains uncertain whether the proposal to remove fluoride could gain momentum, especially with a mostly new group of elected officials in place.