Bottle-fed babies should not be given formula that is mixed with fluoridated water, according to a warning from the NSW Health Department.

But instead of advertising that warning, and concerns from that too much fluoride is being added to local water supplies, Rous Water is pushing ahead with its fluoridation program.

Just this week, Rous Water announced that fluoride was back on tap in Clunes after teething problems with the dosing equipment.

Ross Water’s technical services director Wayne Franklin said low water flow rates at Clunes had made it difficult to achieve consistent fluoride levels in the water when the plant was first commissioned.

‘The fluoride dosing equipment suppliers have made adjustments to the dosing equipment to allow better mixing of the fluoride and the water supply at low water flows,’ Mr Franklin said.

‘The dosing equipment is being monitored daily to ensure that it is operating satisfactorily.’

Cr Vanessa Ekins, a delegate on Rous Water, told Echonetdaily that Rous Water was failing to acknowledge that other countries had reduced the level of fluoride.

Cr Ekins attempted to move a motion at the last meeting of Rous Water to suspend the fluoridation program but the motion was ruled unlawful by Rous general manager Kyme Lavelle.

Her motion is that ‘Rous Water suspend the addition of fluoride to the regional water supply until the National Health and Medical Research Council has completed the review into reducing fluoride concentrations from 1mg per litre to 0.7mg per litre’.

Cr Ekins has lodged a complaint against the GM, and vowed to move the motion at the next meeting of Rous Water on 21 October.

She will also be moving another motion calling on Rous Water to actively promote the health warnings on the NSW Health website regarding bottle fed babies.

The warning says that bottle fed babies could be subject to dental fluorosis, and therefore ‘making up infant formulae with water that has a low fluoride content is consequently not recommended by the NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council).

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