The increase will bring Clearwater’s water up to federal recommendations

CLEARWATER — The installation of fluoride delivery systems at two of the city’s water treatment plants should be complete sometime in March, according to the city’s utilities director.

The new storage tanks and pumps are designed to increase the level of fluoride in the city’s drinking water to 0.7 parts per million, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends for fighting tooth decay.

“The city’s water already is partially fluoridated from the water we receive from Pinellas County’s water system,” said David Porter, the man in charge of the city’s water quality. “First, we are constructing and will put online sometime in March a fluoride injection system at our water treatment plant on Saturn Drive.”

The Saturn Drive facility is one of a pair of water treatment plants that will get new fluoridation equipment. The treatment plants have, or will be, converted to reverse osmosis systems, which use pressure to separate and remove dissolved salts and other ions from the water.

The fluoride injection systems cost $250,000 at each of the two water treatment plants, for a total cost of $500,000, Porter said.

*Original article online at https://www.tampabay.com/clearwater/fluoride-updates-in-clearwater-to-be-complete-by-march-20190131/

Print PDF