Thursday, July 3, 2025
On June 30th, the City of Calgary reintroduced fluoride to its drinking water as a safe and effective public health measure to prevent dental cavities and improve oral health.
Fluoride was first introduced into Calgary’s drinking water in 1991. The drinking water remained fluoridated for 20 years until City Council directed Administration to discontinue the practice in 2011. The Council decision to reintroduce fluoride in the drinking water system was made one month after a plebiscite in the 2021 Civic General Election found 62 per cent support for fluoridation amongst voters.
Research consistently shows it’s safe at low levels and is a cost-effective way to improve dental health that benefits everyone in the community, especially those most vulnerable and without access to dental care.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is present in minerals, and therefore naturally found in water, air, soil and almost all foods.
Fluoridation won’t change the taste, smell or appearance of your drinking water.
Health Canada fluoride guidelines and safety
Health Canada, Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services support the practice of Community Water Fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure to prevent and reduce tooth decay.
Health Canada’s Guidance on Community Water Fluoridation recommends optimal fluoride levels to be 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L). This level considers the fluoride that people are getting from other sources like fluoridated toothpaste or mouth rinse.
Due to the natural fluctuating levels in the Bow and Elbow Rivers (ranging from 0.1-0.4 mg/L), the new fluoridation systems at the treatment plants will adjust fluoride levels to maintain 0.7 mg/L in the drinking water.
The City is committed to ensuring drinking water is of high quality, safe to drink, reliable and available for Calgarians.
Infrastructure upgrades
The reintroduction of fluoride into the water system required infrastructure upgrades at Calgary’s two water treatment plants. Existing infrastructure had reached the end of its lifecycle in 2011 and was removed following Council’s decision to stop fluoridation.
Capital upgrades started in September 2023 and included:
- A retrofit of an existing building at the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant and installing the new fluoride equipment.
- A new building at the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant to house the fluoride equipment.
Costs:
The infrastructure costs to reintroduce fluoride at Calgary’s two water treatment plants was $28.1M with additional annual costs of $1M for operating and maintenance at both plants. This translates into less than 10 cents per person, per month.
This is funded through Council-approved water rates. There is no support from property taxes.
