The following notice appears on the Borough of Patton Website:

The Patton Borough Water Department Water System is proposing to discontinue its use of fluoride boosting chemicals. This notice is not related to any drinking water violation.

The Patton Borough Water Department currently adds a chemical to your drinking water to increase the concentrations of fluoride present. This has been the practice for a number of years, but now, we are proposing to discontinue the use of this chemical. We have several reasons for this decision.

First, the old Chest Creek source, which provided drinking water for the system until this year, did not contain any fluoride naturally. The new well sources, however, do produce water with a small amount of fluoride introduced by the surrounding geology. Second, we have observed issues with water quality that we believe to be related to the use of the fluoride chemical. Specifically, the use of flourosilicic [sic, fluorosilicic] acid appears to be creating isolated instances of discolored water and higher iron content, due to an increased corrosiveness. Eliminating this chemical should help to prevent these occurrences Finally, the artificial addition of fluoride is not required by law and Patton is one of the last communities in the area fluoridating its water. The elimination of the fluoride chemical will help operational costs, and subsequently our user rates, lower.

Fluoride is used as an additive in certain drinking water systems to aid in dental health, its removal from our system has the potential to cause an increase in tooth decay. This notice is being sent to make you aware of this change. If you have specific health concerns, please consult your doctor or dentist.

The date of final removal of fluoride chemicals will be on or after October 31, 2016. This action is the latest in a series of steps the Patton Borough Water Department has been taking to improve the safety and quality of your drinking water. We thank you  for your patience as we continue to make adjustments in operation of our new well sources.

For more information, please contact:
The Patton Borough Water Department
Kenneth Trinkley, Supervisor
800 4th Avenue
Patton PA 26668

Public Water Supply Identification Number (PWS ID): 4110024

Date Originally Distributed: 09/26/2016

Print PDF