RELATED: San Jose adds fluoride to water "When it comes to children, being preventative is just critical," says Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County supervisor.
The facility is expected to be completed by August 2019 and could eventually serve more than 400,000 residents.
"We’re going to have the best opportunity we can to do this in a very effective and efficient way."
Advocates say fluoridation could help address some of the oral health challenges that residents face.
"Public water fluoridation has been studied for more than 50 years, and it’s been shown to reduce smooth surface decay, says Dr. John Pisacane, Willow Glen dentist.
"It makes the enamel stronger and resists dissolving by the acids in our mouth."
Opponents are skeptical over the safety of the mineral.
Some say the practice of adding fluoride to the public tap is essentially mass medication.
"There’s lots of things that might generally be good for people, that we could throw into their bloodstream, it wouldn’t be good for everybody, and the dose matters," says Wesley.
Roughly three-quarters of Americans are served by utilities that provide fluoridated water.