Fluoride delay for Coast water supplies

Plans to introduce fluoride to Sunshine Coast water last Friday have been delayed, with Seqwater yesterday saying it would now most likely happen Tuesday, December 16 or Wednesday December 17.

A spokesman said initial levels would be quite low as the fluoride plant at Landers Shute water treatment plant was gradually brought on line but the regulated dose of 0.8milligrams/litre would be in place by next year.

Only areas south of the Maroochy River will be affected, with fluoride to be introduced into other Coast supplies by the end of 2009.

Given the time it will take to travel through the system, the first fluoridated water should be flowing from taps south of the river by this weekend.

The results, depending on who you believe, will be anything from horrible allergic reactions to nothing worse than strong teeth.

One woman who contacted the Daily yesterday said she suspected the fluoride had already been introduced because she was sensitive to chemicals and had been feeling sick since Saturday.

A friend of hers had said her water tasted “funny”.

Bob Abbot talks about fluoride

Dorothy Bowes, president of the Allergy Sensitivity and Environmental Health Association of Queensland, said there were well-documented cases of people sensitive to chemicals, including fluoride, suffering skin and digestive reactions.

“We have been quite horrified to hear Queensland Health say there are no known allergies to fluoride, when it has been well documented,” Ms Bowes said.

“So we are quite concerned they haven’t done any studies before they add it to the water.”

But a spokeswoman for the Australian Medical Association described that view as a “misconception”.

Australia’s peak research body, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) had completed a review last year of the latest scientific data on fluoride and its health impacts, the spokeswoman said.

“Based on the research, the HHMRC recommended supplementary fluoridation of water as an effective community measure to protect the population from tooth decay.

“Fluoride is not a poison, it is a naturally occurring compound that helps to stabilise the mineral content of bones and teeth and helps prevent tooth decay.”