Priority should first be given to meeting the national drinking water standards, the Central Otago District Council's water services manager Russell Bond said.
In 2011, the Maniototo Community Board voted to add fluoride to Ranfurly's water supply and in 2013 the board considered the matter again and voted to seek more feedback and information.
Mr Bond's report to the council meeting next week recommends the council rescinds both those board decisions and reviews the addition of fluoride after the water supply has been upgraded to meet the national drinking water standards.
That process could take up to 14 years.
A referendum of the council's four wards on the topic of fluoridation was carried out in 2007.
In each ward, the vote was fairly evenly divided between those for and those against the proposal.
The vote involved all residents, not just the people connected to a council-run town water supply.
Over the whole district, 46% were in favour and 43% opposed, with the remaining 11% being blank votes.
The Cromwell, Roxburgh and Vincent Community Boards later voted against adding fluoride to their respective water supplies.
Mr Bond said the delay in installing fluoridation in Ranfurly was because of a change in government and uncertainty over subsidies.
The Maniototo board was later advised any subsidy would hinge on the Ministry of Health and the council agreeing to the investment and commitment to 10 years of operational costs for the fluoride system.
Since then the South Taranaki District Council had been taken to the High Court over the legality of the council adding fluoride to the Patea and Waverley water supplies, he said.
The High Court found fluoride was not a medical treatment and the council had the power to add it to drinking water.
''This report does not look to discuss the science behind the two sides of the fluoridation debate'' Mr Bond said.
It was only to ask the council to reconsider the timing of any fluoridation projects in relation to other priority projects in the 30-year plan, such as the upgrade of drinking water supplies.
The staged investment for Ranfurly to meet water standards was budgeted for 2029 and it would be difficult to support promoting a voluntary project, such as fluoridation, over another project required by law (the drinking water standards), Mr Bond said.
