By Town Crier Staff Report

The Purissima Hills Water District Board of Directors voted 3-2 at their Nov. 8 meeting not to oppose the San Francisco Public Utilities District’s plans to fluoridate all of its Hetch Hetchy water.

Earlier this summer, the board also voted not to oppose fluoridation. But Los Altos Hills resdient Dan Seidel, who will join the Purissima board in December, urged the district to reconsider its decision and even oppose the plan. Seidel said fluoridating the water supply is the worst possible way to dispense medicine and that an overdose could cause potential medical problems.

“We wouldn’t do it ourselves,” said Purissima General Manager Patrick Walter of any district effort to fluoridate its local supply, involving approximately 2,000 connections through much of Los Altos Hills.

However, Walter said the board felt, “If we decided to say no, we’re still going to get it.”

So far, the Woodside City Council has been opposed to fluoridation of the Hetch Hetchy supply. But fluoridation by and large has been well received by Peninsula and South Bay residents. Last year, Mountain View voters approved an advisory vote in favor of fluoridation. Sunnyvale voters opted for fluoridation, as well, in last week’s election.

Fluoride, an element already present in food and drink, has been touted as a major factor in the fight against tooth decay. It has been mixed into water supplies since 1945.

The San Francisco utility is at least three years away from implementing a new fluoridation system.