There is currently no fluoride in the water across Hawke's Bay. Photo / NZME
There is currently no fluoride in the water across Hawke's Bay. Photo / NZME
Fluoride will be added back into the water supply in the Hastings district from 2023 while other councils in Hawke's Bay will be forced to do the same in the "near future".
One local mayor says "it is a concern" new orders are being given by the Ministry of Health to add fluoride to water supplies without feedback from communities.
Remarkably, no council in Hawke's Bay councils currently add fluoride to its water supply.
That is despite roughly half of Kiwis having fluoride in their drinking water.
Health experts say fluoride is a safe, affordable and effective method of preventing tooth decay.
Health experts say fluoride is a safe and effective method of preventing tooth decay. Photo / NZME
Last year, a law was amended which allowed the director-general of health to order fluoride be added to local water supplies.
Previously, that decision could only be made by local councils.
Last week, during his final few days on the job, former director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced that he was exercising the new powers and directed 14 local authorities (councils) add fluoride to their water supply within the next three years.
An $11 million fund is available to those councils to achieve that goal.
Hastings District Council was the only council across Hawke's Bay included on the list.
That initial list included councils that reported they could fluoridate their water relatively soon and "for whom the cost could be accommodated", Bloomfield stated.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the former director-general of health, made the orders during his last week on the job. Photo / NZME
However, Bloomfield said that the Ministry of Health would be "following up" other councils in the country "to also look to fluoridate their water in the near future".
The only regions ruled out are small rural communities where it is difficult to add fluoride to the water supply.
Bloomfield said the aim was to have roughly 80 per cent of Kiwis with access to fluoridated water "as soon as possible".
Hastings District Council already has plans to reinstate fluoride into its drinking water and says it will request roughly $240,000 to bring it back in 2023.
Fluoride had to be removed from the supply in the Hastings District following the Havelock North water contamination disaster in 2016, to allow the council to chlorinate the water.
"Enabling both chlorination and fluoridation has been planned for in our new water treatment and storage facilities, so will be reintroduced to the main urban supply on the completion of Waiaroha mid-next year to meet the Ministry of Health timeframe," Craig Thew, Hastings District Council group manager asset management, said.
Napier mayor Kirsten Wise says she expects the city will be directed to add fluoride to its water in the near future. Photo / Paul Taylor
Meanwhile, Napier mayor Kirsten Wise said she expected Napier would be told at some stage in the near future to add fluoride to its water supply but had not been given any dates or timeframes.
"I was actually slightly surprised that we weren't included in the first round [of councils], based on correspondence I had from Dr Bloomfield."
Wise said it was a concern councils no longer had a say on the topic.
"It is a concern because we are the ones that are connected to our community, and fluoridation of water supply is something that people have incredibly strong views on.
"If and when we are directed, I'm sure the community will have quite a bit to say about it, and we have no ability to influence the decision."
She said the council would be vocal on the issue of costs.
"It will be a significant cost to council and we will be pushing back on that and stating, as this is a central Government directive, that we would expect to be getting the funding to do it because we do not currently have it in our long-term plan."
