The Middletown water treatment plant mistakenly added excess fluoride into the community’s water supply and did not report the error for nearly a month in violation of state code, the city said in a public notice.
It said that on Nov. 10, 2025, the system overfed fluoride into the water at a higher rate than needed, and it was “likely that water with elevated levels of fluoride was delivered to the public.”
While the city said it corrected the situation within five hours and test results indicated normal fluoride levels in the drinking water, it said that due to the fact that the situation was not reported in a timely manner, it prevented additional testing from being done to determine the actual level of fluoride delivered.
The city also acknowledged it failed to report the mistake to the Orange County Department of Health within 48 hours, as required.
“We did not notify the OCDOH of a malfunction in the fluoride system until December 9, 2025,” the city said. “We are required to notify the OCDOH to ensure that we are doing all appropriate testing and providing proper public notification as required by New York State regulations.”
City leaders say if you have any health concerns, talk with your doctor or dentist.
“We are working with the Orange County Department of Health to ensure future compliance with the New York State Sanitary Code and will consult the Orange County Department of Health for any violation or situation that may pose a risk to public health,” the city said.
Original article online at: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/news/2026/01/22/middletown-says-it-added-excess-fluoride-to-drinking-water–violated-state-sanitary-code