Dannevirke's drinking water will need to have fluoride added by the end of June 2024. Photo / NZME
Dannevirke's drinking water will need to have fluoride added by the end of June 2024. Photo / NZME
Tararua District Council has been directed to add fluoride to Dannevirke's drinking water supply June 30, 2024.
The directive, from former Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, was sent to the council last month.
The directive to fluoridate came from then Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In the letter, Bloomfield stated that he had considered scientific evidence and exercised his statutory powers under the Health Act.
The Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 shifted the decision to add fluoride from local councils to the Director-General of Health, recognising that it was a "health-related matter and ensures a nationally consistent approach to community water fluoridation based on its well-established health benefits," a Ministry of Health spokesperson said.
"Fluoridation of the Dannevirke drinking water supply is an important step in improving the oral health of your community," Bloomfield's letter stated.
Dannevirke comes under the MidCentral District Health Board area and data in 2020 showed that for children aged up to 12 in the rohe, overall, 42 per cent of children had experienced tooth decay at age five.
Health survey results from 2017-2020 showed that 7.9 per cent of adults had one or more teeth removed in the past 12 months.
It was stated that it was reasonable to conclude that Dannevirke had significant levels of tooth decay.
Tararua District Council will be applying for funding through Manatū Hauora. Photo / NZME
The estimated cost for Tararua District Council was $318,850 and the council could apply for this funding through Manatū Hauora's capital works funding.
Council group manager of infrastructure Chris Chapman said the council would be aiming to meet the deadline once they'd secured the funding.
Chlorine is in Tararua district's water supplies to minimise the risk of contamination when water is sourced from rivers. Photo / NZME
Dannevirke's water currently had chlorine added.
Chapman said this was crucial in minimising the risk of contamination to water supplies, especially when water was sourced from surface water sources rather than confined aquifers.
He understood that many water supply systems around New Zealand had both chlorine and fluoride.
"While I don't know exactly how the two chemicals interact at this stage, I think this can be managed in the system design."
It was possible there would be further directives for other communities within the Tararua district at a later date, but for now the focus was on Dannevirke.
The Ministry of Health spokesperson said a number of factors were considered, including the local authority's ability to implement fluoridation swiftly, as well as the size and needs of populations served by the relevant water supplies.
"Before the end of 2022 further local authorities may be notified by the Director General of Health that they are being considered for a potential direction to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water supplies."
The ministry spokesperson said that the NZ Oral Health Survey completed in 2009 and regular outcome measures across the health system showed that oral health could be improved.
They said a number of oral health initiatives had been undertaken during that time, including the reorientation of Community Oral Health services for children and adolescents.
"Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation and other international health authorities as the most effective health measure for the prevention of dental decay.
"Evidence shows that in areas with fluoridated water there is a 21 percent reduction in tooth decay among adults aged 18–44 years and a 30 percent reduction in tooth decay among adults aged 45 years and over."
