Gunnedah Shire Council has announced that fluoride will be introduced to its town water supply from Monday, 11 March following a comprehensive testing and training process.
Council Manager Water Services, Michael Ludlow said Gunnedah’s new $8 million water treatment facility allowed the centralised treatment of town water for the first time.
“This modern centre has been designed and constructed to ensure consistent treatment of town water, and to allow for the introduction of fluoridation,” Mr Ludlow said.
“The new centre has undergone rigorous testing and a qualified contractor will supervise and monitor the initial implementation as Council staff complete their final ‘live’ training.
“Gunnedah Shire has the benefit of using the decades of experience of other water suppliers and is implementing a system that is already in place across most of the state and the country. Testing will be done daily in accordance with NSW Health regulations.”
Records show 96% of the population of NSW has access to fluoridated water.
Fluoridation is supported by many dental and health organisations, including the National Health and Medical Research Council, the World Health Organization, the Australian Dental Association, the Australian Medical Association, the Public Health Association of Australia, and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
To find out more about fluoridation of drinking water, visit NSW Health at https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/water/Pages/fluoridation.aspx
