In an attempt to address ongoing public health concerns, the Hillsboro City Council has greenlit a community advisory vote, slated for the upcoming November 2024 ballot, to decide once again on the issue of fluoridation in the city's public water supply. This move comes after a pro-fluoridation group informed the Hillsboro Water Department of their intention to push for a measure that would see Hillsboro's water fluoridated at 0.7 milligrams per liter, the level deemed optimal by the EPA for preventing tooth decay.
According to information made public in the Hillsboro Utilities Commission's May 14 meeting packet, this engaging community measure was recommended to the City Council by the Hillsboro Utilities Commission. Evidently, the proposal to add fluoride to the public water system is not new, returning to the forefront of municipal discourse periodically over the decades, with earlier initiatives occurring in the 1950s, 2002, and 2012.
Providing historical context, fluoridation was first approved by Hillsboro voters in 1952, but it was rejected the following year after a voter-initiated petition led to another vote. Since then, discussions about fluoridation have occurred, but no ballot measures have been proposed until now. The topic has seen varying community opinions, illustrated by the initial approval and subsequent rejection of water fluoridation. According to the City of Hillsboro website, the recommendation for the advisory vote is intended to assess current community sentiment.
Currently, Hillsboro residents receive different levels of fluoride depending on their location. The Hillsboro Water Department supplies non-fluoridated water to areas west of Cornelius Pass Road and south of Highway 26. In contrast, the Tualatin Valley Water District provides fluoridated water to residents east of Cornelius Pass Road and north of Highway 26 up to Helvetia. The advisory vote seeks to address these differences in water treatment across the city.
