Putting fluoride into the city’s water system requires upgrades each year, and now the City of Dothan hopes a grant will cover most of some upcoming costs.
The Dothan City Commission authorized Dothan Utilities to submit an application to the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Oral Health Office for a grant worth up to $25,000 during Tuesday’s regular meeting. The city uses 93,000 pounds of hydrofluorosilicic each year in an effort to help citizens maintain good dental health.
The city receives bulk deliveries of the fluoride chemical then disperses them to 28 well sites via a chemical delivery truck. According to Hank Mosley, a Dothan Utilities engineer, the chemical’s corrosive nature requires his department to refurbish or replace various portions of the delivery system periodically.
For example, tubing for the system needs replacement each year, while holding tanks must be replaced every 10 years, Mosley said. Angie Akos, water operations superintendent, noted the funding to make these upgrades comes out of maintenance and operations budgets yearly, but officials hope the grant will cover most of the needed updates this year.
According to a city document, Dothan Utilities wants to replace 28 fluoride injection pumps, 900 feet of tubing and 28 holding tanks – an estimated cost of $26,220.
Akos said it has been about 20 years since the city applied for this type of grant. Should ADPH award the money, Dothan Utilities will have to commit to using the fluoride injection system for an additional five years.
Akos said her department could also file for the grant again next year, even if state officials approve the current application. She noted the city could use the money for other related upgrades.
In other action, the commission…
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