(This notice went to the water customers with their June bills)

PUBLIC NOTICE
IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Elevated fluoride levels detected PWS# 1592010
City of Newport

This is an alert about your drinking water and a cosmetic dental problem that might affect children under nine years of age. At low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities, but children drinking water containing more than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of fluoride may develop cosmetic discoloration of their permanent teeth (dental fluorosis). The drinking water provided by the Newport Water Division’s Station 1 Water Treatment Plant had a fluoride concentration exceeding 2.0 mg/l on May 4m, 2019, between 4 pm and 6;30 pm. The maximum fluoride level during this time period reached 2.16 mg/l.

Dental fluorosis in its moderate or severe forms, may result in a brown staining and or pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Children under nine should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water or water that has been treated to remove the fluoride to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting of the permanent teeth. You may also want to contact your dentist about proper use by young children of fluoride-containing products. Older children and adults may safely drink the water.

Drinking water containing more than 4.0 mg/l of fluoride (the US Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standard) can increase your risk of developing bone disease. Your drinking water does not contain more than 4 mg/l of fluoride, but we’re required to notify you when we discover that the fluoride levels in your water exceed 2 mg/l because of this cosmetic dental problem. Water from the Lawton Valley Water Treatment Plant was not affected by elevated Fluoride levels.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

There are no actions you need to take at this time. You do not need to use an alternative (i.e. bottled) water supply. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective action.

WHAT IS BEING DONE?

Corrective actions were immediately implemented at the Station 1 Water Treatment Plant on May 4,m 2019 to bring the fluoride levels below 2.0mg/l. Increased distribution system monitoring began at the onset of this event and continued until the entire system returned to the EPA recommended fluoride standard of 0.7mg/l. Additionally, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the application of all chemicals, including but not limited to fluoride, are being reviewed with all plant staff.

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROBLEM?

For more information, please call James Roberts, Supervisor Water Quality & Production for the Newport Water Division at (401) 845-5825 or in writing to, Newport Water Division, 70 Halsey Street, Newport, RI 02840. Some home water treatment units are also available to remove fluoride from drinking water. To learn more about available home water treatment units, you may call NSF International at 1-877-8-NSF-HELP.

*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. *

Date Distributed: June 1, 2019

*Original public notice online at https://www.cityofnewport.com/CityOfNewport/media/City-Hall/Departments/Utilities/Utilities%20Press%20Releases/Utilities%20Press%20Releases%202019/PN-Fluoride-violation-6-19-FINAL_.pdf

**This public notice is also online at http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/newport-ri.notice.elevated-levels.june-1-2019.pdf

Other information on this event:

June 4, 2019, Newport Water Customers to Receive Notice of Elevated Fluoride Levels in June Bills, City of Newport website.

June 5, 2019, Elevated fluoride levels found in Newport water treatment plant in May, by Isabella Gentile. Newport Daily News.