Water company to stop fluoridation in Lincolnshire for a year

Fluoride naturally occurs in drinking water, but is sometimes added to water supplies to improve dental health

More than 250,000 people will not have fluoride added to their water supply for a year due to major infrastructure works.

Anglian Water has informed Lincolnshire's director of public health it will stop adding the mineral from early 2024 until 2025.

Fluoride, which the NHS says improves dental health, is added to water supplies in western Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire County Council said it was looking at ways to minimise the impact.

Fluoride occurs naturally at very low levels in drinking water and in parts of the country it is added to water supplies to raise the levels present.

Tooth decay

Water companies add it at the request of health officials.

Public health consultant at the county council Lucy Gavens said Anglian Water had said work would begin in early 2024 and they would temporarily stop adding fluoride until the work was completed in March 2025.,

"Fluoridated communities include Lincoln, Gainsborough, parts of Market Rasen and a large number of rural communities across the west and central areas of the county," she said.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a report to the council's health committee warned the pause was "likely to have a negative impact on oral health in the west of the county during this period of time".

It said up to twice as many five-year-olds experienced tooth decay in parts of the county that are not fluoridated than those in areas were it is added to the water supply.

Ms Gavens added: "Lincolnshire County Council is working with colleagues to explore ways to minimise the impact on dental health."