New equipment enabling fluoride to be added to the New Plymouth water supply is being put through its paces, after the Director-General of Health instructed NPDC to add fluoride by the end of July this year.

The Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill passed in the Beehive in November 2021, removed the decision for water fluoridation away from councils to the Director-General of Health, because it is a medical issue.

“The Director General of the Ministry of Health has instructed us to put fluoride into the water supply for 26,000 homes across the district and we’ve been testing the equipment to ensure we’re on track to go live at the end of this month,” says NPDC Three Waters Manager Mark Hall.

The specialised equipment allowing water to be dosed with fluoride costs around $200,000 and has been paid for by the Ministry of Health.

The New Plymouth water supply services homes and businesses in Omata, New Plymouth, Bell Block, Waitara, Lepperton, Tikorangi, Onaero and Urenui.

Ministry of Health advice is that fluoride is a natural substance that helps to prevent tooth decay.

Fluoride has no taste or smell so residents will not notice any difference to their drinking water.

NPDC has not been advised by the Ministry if the Inglewood, Ōākura and Ōkato water supplies will also need fluoridating in the future.

Fast facts

• NPDC provides four public water supplies across the district.
• NPDC is one of 14 councils given the directive to add fluoride by the end of the month.
• The New Plymouth supply was fluoridated until 2011 following a decision by the elected council to remove it. The remaining three supplies have never been fluoridated.
• The district’s four water supplies provide about 28 million litres of water per day to just under 28,000 homes and businesses.
• About 90% of that volume comes from the New Plymouth Water Treatment Plant.

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