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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Since Davis County cities began delivering fluoridated water in April, area plumbing businesses have been busy with calls from residents wanting to get rid of the stuff.
Culligan, a national water conditioning company, targeted certain ZIP codes in the county with 5-by-8 inch postal cards in the past week advertising that its "reverse osmosis" system can remove fluoride from the water.
Culligan salesman Peter Hart said the company's sales of the reverse osmosis units is up about 30 percent since the mailing. "We've been very busy. It's been good."
Marv Hill, service manager for Shamrock Plumbing in North Salt Lake, said his company has been selling about 10 reverse osmosis units a month.
A slight majority of Davis County residents voted in 2000 to put fluoride in the water. That vote may be revisited in next year's election, however, because of a law passed in the recent legislative session that allows a vote on the issue every four years.
Salt Lake County voters also approved fluoridation and the county expects to begin fluoridating by Oct. 1.
Dave Wilding, manager of the Bountiful water department, said he tells residents who inquire about fluoride-removing systems that "there are home units available that can do it, but if all they want is non-fluoridated drinking water, it's probably cheaper to buy bottled water."
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
