The Associação Brasileira das Empresas Estaduais de Saneamento (Aesbe) filed a civil public action this week requesting that Brazil’s federal justice temporarily suspend the obligatory addition of fluoride to drinking water supplied nationwide. The petition, lodged in the 16th Federal Civil Court of the Distrito Federal, names the Union as defendant and argues that an extraordinary shortage of fluorosilicic acid—the byproduct of phosphate fertilizer used for fluoridation—justifies a 90‑day pause, extendable upon presentation of a technical report by member companies.
Federal law 6.050 of 1974 mandates fluoridation of public water supplies, a measure the Ministry of Health says reduces dental caries prevalence by about 50 %, with a stronger effect in vulnerable regions. Aesbe acknowledges that, without fluoride, water remains safe for consumption but warns that the current scarcity could lead to supply interruptions. The association cites the halt in supplies from Mosaic, a major fertilizer producer, after sulfur prices rose due to Middle‑East conflicts and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted the production of fluorosilicic acid.
In its petition, Aesbe asks the court to recognize the shortage as an extraordinary situation, to grant an initial 90‑day suspension renewable via technical reports, to have the Union form a crisis committee, and to refrain from imposing fines for non‑compliance during the suspension period. A similar action was filed by the Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Saneamento (Abcon) in the Federal Court of Brasília.
The Ministry of Health told Folha de S.Paulo that it met with Aesbe and Abcon on 23 July to assess the scenario, outline necessary measures, and support the mapping of national and international suppliers for emergency acquisitions. The ministry said it is monitoring national stocks of fluorosilicic acid and that any suspension would require consistent technical analyses and contingency measures, currently under review. It reiterated that the World Health Organization recommends fluoridated water and that studies show the policy cuts caries prevalence by roughly half.
If granted, the suspension would affect water supplied by state‑owned utilities such as Sabesp (São Paulo), Cagece (Ceará), Cagepa (Paraíba), Cesan (Espírito Santo), Sanepar (Paraná) and BRK, all members of Aesbe. The outcome will determine whether Brazil pauses a public‑health measure that has been in place for five decades while addressing a temporary supply shock.