Man says he secretly lowered his town’s water fluoride for over a decade

The water superintendent for a small town in Vermont resigned in protest after local officials ordered him to restore the town's water to the state's standard.

His resignation letter offered another bombshell in the small-town water scandal that has made national headlines recently. He claimed that he had been secretly lowering the town's fluoride levels for over a decade, rather than the four years officials had previously said.

In his resignation letter, Chamberlin wrote that restoring the town's water to the state-recommended level posed unacceptable risks to public health. I can't be a part of this.

In the northwestern part of the state, Chamberlin held the title of water superintendent for over three decades. He didn't mention to his fellow residents that he'd been taken in by false fears that fluoridated water is harmful.

Murky waters

Since routine water fluoridation began in the US in the 1940's, some segments of the population have been concerned about the effects of fluoride in the water. Adding fluoride to water improves dental health. Fluoridating water is a safe and cost-effective way to prevent dental decay. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking fluoridated water reduces decay by 25%.

Concerns that the intervention could cause harm include the risk of cancer and effects on children's IQs. It's well known that fluoride can be harmful at high levels. There isn't a lot of high quality data looking at the effects of fluoridating community water.

There is no proof of harms. Some animal studies claim to have found links between fluoridated water and cancer, but other studies have not. Most of those who claim links have flaws and uncertainty. Some have been found to be false.

The American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, and the American Public Health Association have endorsed fluoridating community water. More than 70% of the US population gets fluoridated water from municipal water systems, according to the CDC.

Going rogue

Some people still make their own assessments and come to different conclusions, such as Chamberlin. Chamberlin first acknowledged to town officials on September 19 that he had been lowering the town's fluoride to roughly half the state's standard due to his own beliefs. He acknowledged that he didn't give notification or ask for approval for the change.

Chamberlin argued in his resignation that the town's use of fluoride is voluntary and that the levels are not mandated by the state. While fluoridating municipal water is voluntary in the state of Vermont, towns that participate in the state's fluoridation program must keep the level within the state's standard range. In his resignation, Chamberlin said that he had kept the levels of fluoride low.

Town residents were shocked and angry at Chamberlin. Water department staff have been maintaining the state's standard for fluoride levels since October 5, according to the town manager. From now on, the town's Water and Sewer Commission will review water fluoride levels monthly, according to him.