STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — Monday night, the Stanly County Board of Commissioners discussed whether the county should remove fluoride from the water.
The debate was one of the first orders of business on the meeting agenda for Monday. There aren't many details available about the plans for the discussion.
There was no vote at Monday night's meeting. It is unclear if the issue will come up for a vote in the future.
A similar debate recently took place in Union County, with county leaders ultimately deciding they will stop putting fluoride in the county's water.The vote came late last month to stop adding the mineral to its Yadkin River Water Treatment Plant.
Even then, commissioners did say there are many chemicals in the water that are meant to keep people safe. Still, some believe fluoride can cause health problems.
That belief isn't entirely off base. WCNC Charlotte's Verify team found fluoride can be harmful to pregnant women -- however, the levels considered to be harmful are above what was found in Union County's tap water. The World Health Organization guideline says the maximum amount of fluoride in drinking water should be 1.5 milligrams per liter, which is well under the level of concern.
Ultimately, Union County commissioners said people should have the right to choose if they want fluoride in their water.
Contact Kia Murray at kmurray@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.