San Jose is the largest city in the country without fluoridated water. Several other cities in our Valley are without fluoridation, or are only partially fluoridated. According to the Centers for Disease Control, water fluoridation reduces tooth decay 18-40 percent in children and adults, and is "one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th Century."
For 10 years, The Health Trust has been leading a coalition including the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, elected officials, local dentists and oral hygienists and community members towards a solution. In November, 2011, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board unanimously voted to support fluoridation at the district’s three water treatment plants. In December, 2012, the Water District entered into a public/private partnership to fund fluoridation. Under the agreement, three organizations agreed to donate a total of $2.4 million toward the cost of the $6.6 million project: $1 million from The Health Trust, $900,000 from FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, and $500,000 from the California Dental Association Foundation. As a result of these efforts, in 2016 – 2017, Santa Clara Valley Water District began adding fluoride at its Santa Teresa Water Treatment Plant and people in east San Jose, Almaden Valley, and Santa Teresa are now receiving fluoridated water.