A recent discussion on the future of Fluoridation in the Branson Water System has led to officials asking for public input.

The full release from the City of Branson is below:

The City of Branson is seeking public input regarding retaining fluoridation to the City’s water system, opening a 90-day public comment period. This important effort to receive public comment is required ahead of a Board of Aldermen vote tentatively on November 14, 2023. The question before the aldermen, who have already heard from experts on both sides of the issue, is whether to keep or remove water fluoridation as a form of treatment in the City of Branson water system. All interested community members may submit public comment in-person at the November 14th Board of Aldermen meeting or virtually by providing written comments to  publiccomment@bransonmo.gov.

The city has been adding fluoride to the water since 1992. There are two other water districts that serve Branson residents that do not fluoridate the water. Due to the Branson City Utility Department needing to replace fluoridation equipment, the City is electing to study the issue prior to reinvesting in replacement technology. At a special meeting on July 13, 2023, the Board of Aldermen heard from Utilities Director, Kendall Powell, several local, state and national experts on both sides of the issue as well as community members during public comment. You can watch the July 13 Special Meeting at www.BransonMo.Gov/Livestream (videos can also be found at www.Bransonmo.gov under Agendas & Minutes and clicking on the HTML Packet of the corresponding meeting; for Fluoridation, choose “Board of Aldermen – Special Meeting – 7/13/23”).

“The input we receive from our residents will help our municipality to better understand the needs of the community, consider different points of view, improve the quality of our policymaking, and ensure our city government reflects the values of our community,” said Branson City Administrator, Cathy Stepp.

You can find more information on the City’s water and water treatment under the Utilities section on the City’s website at www.bransonmo.gov/utilities.