Salt Lake County officials believe a small water company is in direct violation of the law by not adding fluoride to the water supply.

To push their point, they filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking for a judge's ruling to force Holliday Water Co. to follow public health rules that require water fluoridation.

"It's an issue that just needs to be decided," County Mayor Peter Corroon said. "Obviously it's not going to be decided between Holliday Water Company and our Salt Lake Valley Health Department. Nobody will budge."

The stalemate began in 2000 after voters approved adding fluoride to the county's drinking water supply by a margin of 58 to 42 percent. Holliday Water Co. officials maintain they are not subject to the fluoridation rules, claiming their water system is independent of the county's. The company's lawyer could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

All water systems in the county had until October 2003 to begin fluoridating water. Some, including Holliday Water, got the extensions they asked for. The others are now in compliance, said county health spokeswoman Pam Davenport, who declined to comment further because of the lawsuit.

The heart of the issue is whether Holliday Water is a "functionally separate" water system entitled to choose whether to fluoridate or not, Corroon said.

County officials believe Holliday Water is not separate because its water system is connected to the Salt Lake City Metropolitan water system. Holliday Water stockholders disagree.

"I'm not a scientist — I don't know whether fluoride is healthy or detrimental to our well-being," Corroon said. "I have no feelings one way or the other. We just want to get this issue resolved."

County Councilman David Wilde, who also serves on the Salt Lake Valley Board of Health, believes it's a question of upholding the law.

"The issue was approved by the voters and the water company hasn't complied with what the voters approved," Wilde said.

---

E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com