Woodfin Blames Central Alabama Water for Fluoride Loss

0:00Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfinn sharply criticized central Alabama water for dropping fluoride from the drinking water supply. He accused the new utility of prioritizing politics and cost cuts over public health. But records show two of the three treatment plants stopped adding fluoride well before the new board formed. The changes happened due to maintenance failures under the previous management. The Putnam plant quit on January 7, 2023. Carson followed August 23rd that year and western on March 18, 2024. No public notice was ever given. Woodfinn, who is suing to bring back that old board, took to social media when the announcement hit. Instead of backing off, he blamed specific former leaders for not fixing or reporting the issues during their reviews. Central Alabama water responded that leaders requested repairs, but budgets were handled higher up. They only recently realized just one plant was still working and couldn't afford fixes for years. So they made the call uniform.

1:00The system also loses over half its treated water to leaks, a problem passed down from before. Tensions keep running high as both sides point fingers, leaving residents without fluoride for years while fixes lag behind. That's your update from Birmingham News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.