SAN JOSE -- After years of debate, San Jose is finally getting
fluoride in its drinking water. A unanimous vote Tuesday by the
Santa Clara Valley Water District endorsed a funding plan for
the long-anticipated project for the largest city in the country
without fluoridated drinking water. But it will take about two
more years to finalize the details and retrofit local water
plants to bring the additive aimed at saving children's teeth
from decay to the city's taps. "It's a big deal,'' said Dr.
Marty Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County's health officer. "I used
to ask people, 'What do you think of the fact we don't have
fluoride in our water in San Jose?' A lot of people will tell
you 'I didn't know we didn't have Even with this project,
though, San Jose residents won't be getting the optimal amount
of fluoride in their drinking water. While the water district
came up with a public-private partnership to fund the $6.6
million to retrofit its three main plants for fluoride over the
next two years, its largest cust