Marlborough district councillors are being asked to weigh in on the fluoride debate.
Marlborough District Council assets and services committee chairman Graeme Taylor said he would raise the controversial topic after his committee meeting tomorrow afternoon.
Fluoride in water made headlines last week after Hamilton District Council voted 7-1 to remove fluoride from its water supply within two weeks. The vote makes Hamilton the second-largest unfluoridated population in the country. Christchurch is the only big city without fluoridated water.
The move sparked a stinging criticism from senior Cabinet minister Judith Collins – a former Waikato resident – who branded the decision “absolutely gutless”.
Council operations and maintenance engineer Stephen Rooney said all of Marlborough’s water supplies were fluoride-free, and Mr Taylor said he hoped it stayed that way.
“I think our water is good enough and everybody is used to what we’ve got,” he said.
The council’s assets and services committee had never discussed fluoride during his tenure as chairman, Mr Taylor said.
“We have good, clean water . . . if we had a threatening disease, we might have to look at it.”
Seddon and rural Awatere have faced water problems for several years and both areas are subject to regular boil notices. Mr Taylor said those issues were being worked through by the community.
Mr Rooney said most of Marlborough’s water was treated with chlorine. Blenheim’s was treated with ultra-violet light and pH balancing. He said treating the region’s water supply with fluoride would probably be similar to chlorine treatment, but monitoring fluoride levels and dosage control might be expensive.
WATER TREATMENT
Blenheim – Ultra-violet light, pH balancing
Picton [Essons Valley] – Ultra-violet light, pH balancing, filtration, chlorine
Picton [Speeds Rd bore] – chlorine, pH balancing
Renwick – Chlorine Havelock – Chlorine
Wairau Valley – Chlorine Awatere – MIOX system [produces chlorine from salt]
Riverlands Industrial Estate – Not treated
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