Cheyenne Drinking Water Will Soon Have Less Fluoride

Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities customers will soon be drinking water that has a little less fluoride in it, due to a shortage of availability of the mineral.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral often added to drinking water to reduce dental cavities. The BOPU says its usual fluoride supplier has not been able to provide the product right now and no future delivery has been scheduled.

While Cheyenne's drinking water has a certain amount of naturally-occurring fluoride, it also is added to the water supply at the R.L. Sherard Water Treatment Plant. Between the natural fluoride and the added supplemental fluoride, local drinking water typically contains around 0.7 mg/L of the mineral.

Without the supplemental addition of the mineral, that amount will go down to about 0.5 mg/L. According to a BOPU news release, the lower amount of fluoride does not pose any kind of health risk.

“We are notifying our customers so they can make informed decisions about their dental health as reduced fluoride in the water supply may provide lower than normal protections against tooth decay.” said Brad Brooks, Director of the Board of Public Utilities.