Port Macquarie: Fluoridation plant gets green light

After more than 10 years of planning and negotiations, water fluoridation is going ahead in Port Macquarie.

A tender for the construction of the Rosewood Road Fluoridation Plant has been announced and is expected to be completed by December.

New South Wales Health will provide $1.77 million for the plant, while the Port Macquarie Hastings Council will be responsible for ongoing costs.

The council’s Fiona Conlon says fluoride is expected to be added next year.

“We need to construct a building and we need to connect into the existing pipe work so that we can inject the fluoride,” she said.

“The contract period is 26 weeks and then we’ll be doing more electrical work.

“We’re expecting within the year that we’ll be able to fluoridate the water supply.”