Friday, June 7, 2019

Elevated fluoride levels found in Newport water treatment plant in May

Elevated fluoride levels found in Newport water treatment plant in May

Source: The Newport Daily News | June 5th, 2019 | By Isabella Gentile
 
Corrective action has already been taken.

NEWPORT — Elevated fluoride levels were observed at one of the city’s water treatment plants in May, according to a press release from the Department of Public Utilities.

Fluoride can help prevent cavities at low levels, but drinking water with fluoride levels above two milligrams per liter (mg/l) can lead to a cosmetic dental problem that affects children under 9 years old. According to the press release, the maximum fluoride level found in the city’s Station 1 Water Treatment Plant reached 2.16 mg/l.

Corrective actions were immediately taken by the plant after these levels were found, and increased distribution system monitoring took place until the entire system returned to the EPA recommended fluoride standard of 0.7 mg/l. The city is required to notify water customers of the event.

A public notice released by the city of Newport said that children under 9 should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water in order to prevent the possibility of developing dental fluorosis when fluoride levels are elevated. This condition can lead to the staining and pitting of this age group’s permanent teeth.

Although elevated fluoride levels can result in this cosmetic issue, this fluoride violation is a Tier 3 violation of the drinking water regulations, which according to the EPA poses little or no risk to consumers. Older children and adults can safely drink the water, according to the press release.

Water division personnel were initially alerted to this issue on May 4. The amount of fluoride found during a two and a half hour period that evening violates the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Fluoride, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets at 2.0 mg/l.

Customers should expect to receive a notice notifying them of this violation in their June water bills. For more information about this issue, residents can contact James Roberts, supervisor of water quality and production for the Newport Water Division, at (401) 845-5825.

*Original article online at https://www.newportri.com/news/20190605/elevated-fluoride-levels-found-in-newport-water-treatment-plant-in-may

Other information on this event:

June 1, 2019, The Notice that was sent to water customers with their June bills

June 4, 2019, Newport Water Customers to Receive Notice of Elevated Fluoride Levels in June Bills, City of Newport website.

4 comments:

  1. Okay.
    Need to notify and warn people with kidney disease. Need to warn people with diabetes.
    Need to warn pregnant women.

    Much easier and less costly to remove water fluoridation chemicals from the water supply.

    Can you say lawsuit?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fluoride is a poison. Fluoride was poison yesterday. Fluoride is poison today. Fluoride will be poison tomorrow. Fluoride is not safe and effective. Fluoride is not a nutrient. Fluoride is a drug that is added to our water supply and there is no one watching what is going on as far as dose to the individual is concerned. If we accept fluoride we accept the boot on our face forever as George Orwell would say. I personally am having a hard time with the boot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. just as a question: why the hell should we worry about newports water supply wher we just elected people, here in templeton,that want less work to do, like attend meetings, without more $$$$ ? we need more people in this town to get involved FOR THE GOOD OF THE TOWN, than worry about newport ri water !!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brad................A hint for the voters would have been the previous years attendance of that individual.............But her road is on the repair list.

      Delete