“We presented a new system to add fluoride to their water system. All water has some fluoride in it naturally, but some systems do not have the adequate fluoride to fight tooth decay. Aulander is one of those systems. I served on the Albemarle Regional Health Services Board, which is funding this project with grant funding,” said Bertie County Commissioner Tammy Lee.

Commissioner Lee introduced Dr. Rae Elliott, DHSc., MDH, RDH, and Dianna Hall, RDH, both Public Health Dental Hygienists to the town of Aulander Board of Commissioners for the presentation.

The New Wave Fluoridation Tablet and Feeder System was introduced March 29, 2018 by KC Industries. The new technology was the first advancement in water fluoridation in over 40 years. The system provides affordable, low maintenance, consistent levels of fluoridation to smaller public water systems.

According to the presentation, approximately 25 percent of the United States population does not have access to fluoridated water. This mostly is smaller public water systems. There has been a demand for a simple, passive fluoridation system familiar to operators of small public water systems.

The new fluoride delivery product has a need for decreased safety and handling risk. It has a reduction in installation costs making it more economical for smaller public water systems. It eliminates the need for water softening in hard water applications.

Sodium Fluorosilicate tablets are made of Sodium Fluorosilicate crystalline salt encapsulated in a magnesium binder. The binder is released through erosion as water flows through the contractor.

The tablets are shipped in locking pails with a quantity of 100 tablets per pail. The tablets produce a low amount of dust and have a long shelf life when stored properly.

The KC Industries’ Fluoridation Tablet and Feeder System is a self-contained feeder system.

Tablets are added to the feeder tubes, and each tube holds 200 tablets.

The product is released through water erosion of surface area to saturation.

The system has an availability to fluoridate approximately 300,000 gallons of water per day per tube.

The system is expandable to three feeder tubes. It is designed for fluoride to be added post water treatment.

Field tests have been conducted in Colorado, Florida and Georgia. Modifications made based on the field results were a one-fourth gallon per minute optimum flow and a day tank is desired to hold the concentrated solution.

Implemented design updates included an ability to expand and flexibility to easily custom design.

The maximum flow of the system can effectively fluorinate 1,000,000 gallons a day.

A day tank is recommended to allow the capability to run the unit at a desired rate and build a concentrated solution, which will allow the municipality to increase or decrease feed as needed.

If the system is turned off the solution will increase concentrations at higher levels than the normal flow. The recommended flow through the feeder tubes is 0.25 gallons per minute.

A three-forth inch to one inch male PVC hose adapter fitting is used for standard inbound potable water source.

There is approximately 7.3 gallons of solution left in the feeder tube after tablet displacement.

“I am so glad we could secure funding at no cost to the citizens of Aulander. There was great team work by these two different agencies,” said Commissioner Lee.

The proposed system would bring the town of Aulander’s water system up to the adequate amount of fluoride in the town. This would help with the prevention of tooth decay for the residents.

The system will be provided to the town through grant funding secured by Albemarle Regional Health Services.