Each year, many state drinking water programs and professional associations related to the drinking water industry have quality award programs. Many water utilities strive to qualify for these awards. Earning these awards represents a high level of operator care and accomplishment. To support state water fluoridation programs and recognize water treatment facilities that are doing an outstanding job of providing a consistent level of fluoride in the water supply, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes public water systems that achieve optimal fluoridation levels with an annual Water Fluoridation Quality Award.

For a water system to be eligible, its performance must be documented by the state in the Water Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS). CDC issues the certificates annually to state oral health programs, which are responsible for distributing the award certificates to the recipient communities. These awards are important to community water systems because they provide CDC recognition for meeting high water quality standards that water systems can promote in their consumer communications.

For those systems that adjust fluoride levels, the Wisconsin Oral Health Program reviews monthly operating reports that have been submitted to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The reports are evaluated to identify those water systems that meet strict standards for accuracy in water fluoride treatment, daily monitoring and reporting. The information from these reports is entered into WFRS and used to identify systems that qualify for the Water Fluoridation Quality Award.

Award Criteria

Adequate Daily Samples
Sample required to be taken daily
Must be optimally fluoridating for 12 months within a year 75% of daily samples must be in the recommended optimal operating range

Optimal Fluoride Concentration Control Range
Optimal fluoride concentration is 0.7 mg/L
Monthly average is a minimum of 0.7 mg/L
Lowest optimal concentration is 0.6 mg/l
Highest optimal concentration is 0.8 mg/L

Adequate Split Samples
Monthly split sample must be submitted to WSLH 12 months out of the year
Operator and lab split sample results must correlate
Split +/- tolerance is 0.20 mg/L

To be eligible for the awards, all monthly data must be entered into WFRS by the first of March each year. Data that is entered after March 15 will not be used when considering eligibility to receive these awards. Award certificates for individual water systems will be mailed to the state dental directors in early fall.

*Original online at https://tapintohealthyteeth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Water-fluoridation-quality-award-criteria.pdf