Water Flouridation Implementation Project
Introduction
The Queensland Government announced on 5th December 2007 that it would implement mandatory fluoridation of public water supplies where the supply serviced populations of 1000 or more persons. The announcement indicated that 80 percent of Queenslanders would be drinking fluoridated water within two years, growing to more than 90 percent by 2012.
On the 13th of March 2008, the Water Fluoridation Act 2008 was passed as legislation. In the case of Cairns Regional Council, the legislation requires that the Cairns City potable water supply will be fluoridated by 31st December 2009, whilst the remaining potable water supplies operated by Cairns Regional Council Water & Waste servicing populations of greater than 1000 persons will be fluoridated by 31st December 2010.
The Department of Infrastructure and Planning (DIP) is the lead Agency for this project, providing strategic management and responsibility for ensuring the delivery of infrastructure in relation to the fluoridation plants. DIP who are currently formally advising Councils of the process for the roll-out of fluoridation, sent a letter to all Local Government Authorities on 12th November 2008, explaining the arrangements for the Infrastructure Project Management Group (IPMG) as well as reiterating the timetable for fluoridation of the State.
DIP has established the IPMG to assist Councils in implementing fluoridation in the drinking water supplies. The IPMG consists of Cardno Ltd and Beca Group Ltd; with Cardno providing project management services and Beca providing technical services to the Councils on behalf of DIP.
The object of the Water Fluoridation Act 2008 is to promote good oral health in Queensland by the safe fluoridation of public water supplies. The Act requires fluoride to be added to public potable water supplies supplying potable water to at least 1000 members of the public. A public potable water supplier must add fluoride to the stipulated water supplies within the period prescribed in Water Fluoridation Regulation 2008 as follows:
Cairns Regional Council will also be required to fluoridate any future public potable water supply (ie. Future Mulgrave River Aquifer scheme or Barron River scheme) as defined under the Water Fluoridation Act 2008.
The Regulation prescribes fluoride concentration as a function of 3 zones based on 3 geographical zones across Queensland. The zones are defined by the maximum daily air temperature which is understood to be linked to daily water consumption. Cairns Regional Council is located in local government zone 2 which equates to a fluoride concentration of 0.7mg/L.
The public potable water supplier must take into consideration the background level of fluoride in the raw water supply to ensure that the correct level of fluoride is added to the public potable water supply. In the former Douglas Shire region, the background level of fluoride in raw water samples taken ranged from 0.106mg/L to 0.167mg/L. In the former Cairns City Council region, the background level of fluoride in raw water samples ranged from 0.0001mg/L to 0.213mg/L. In both cases, an additional source of fluoride would need to be added to meet the level of fluoride prescribed in the Water Fluoridation Regulation 2008
Consultation with local Councils currently fluoridating their public potable water supplies has included the former Townsville City Council, the former Mareeba Shire Council and Bamaga Island Council. Meetings have also been held with a number of Fluoride dosing equipment suppliers to gain knowledge on the fluoridation process.
In regards to community consultation, it is recognised that there is likely to be resistance by some residents in the community to the fluoridation of the Cairns Regional Council potable water supply network. As a result, it is proposed that a series of information releases in the various media outlets is undertaken at key stages of the fluoride rollout, to inform the community on the timing of the implementation of fluoridation in the Council areas affected.