In Winter Haven, Florida, the City Commission voted on Tuesday to stop adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water. This decision followed a lengthy public comment period during which residents expressed concerns about potential health risks.

The resolution passed with a 3-2 vote, setting a deadline for fluoride removal by January 1 or as soon as reasonably practical thereafter, according to a report by WFLA-TV.

The Winter Haven City Commission cited a recent federal court ruling in California as the basis for its resolution to end water fluoridation.

In September, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, an Obama appointee, ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must strengthen its regulation of fluoride in drinking water nationwide.

Judge Chen’s 80-page decision pointed to scientific evidence suggesting that fluoride levels currently recommended for drinking water could pose health risks, particularly to the developing brains of infants.

His ruling, under the Toxic Substances Control Act, has reignited debate over the safety of fluoridated water, which is consumed by more than 200 million Americans—approximately 75% of the population.

For many on the commission and in the audience, however, the debate centered less on fluoride itself and more on the broader concern of government overreach, with some viewing the regulation as an unnecessary intrusion into local governance.