Whangārei District Council meeting on Monday to vote on fluoridation

Whangārei anti-fluoride campaigners express their views to the council at its last meeting on February 12. Photo / Susan Botting

Whangārei district residents could be drinking fluoridated water from Wednesday, but it will depend on how a council meeting plays out.

District council chief executive Simon Weston said fluoridation would aim for a target fluoride dose rate of 0.85mg/l of water.

Monday’s council meeting follows a long line of meetings over the issue, which has sparked tense debate.

In a November 28 meeting, the council decided not to comply with an order from the director-general of health to fluoridate its water.

On Monday, councillors will vote yet again on whether to rescind the now three-month-old council refusal to follow the order to fluoridate.

Voting since November 28 has seen the council hold its position — in the face of growing Government pressure.

About 80,000 people drink from Whangārei district’s four water treatment plants at Whau Valley Maunu, Ruakākā and Waipu.

Weston said the district council must start the necessary preparation work to meet the Government’s March 28 fluoridation deadline by Wednesday.

Failure to do so will mean it will likely breach the Government’s order to fluoridate by March 28, and a raft of consequences potentially kick in.

Weston said commissioning the Whangārei fluoridation would take nine working days.

Each water treatment plant had different fluoride delivery arrangements.

Fluoride would slowly start spreading through the council’s drinking water pipes and networks from the four treatment plants, at varying stages.

Hydrofluorosilicic acid or fluoride was ordered for Whangārei drinking water fluoridation from an international chemical company plant at Mount Maunganui on March 12.

Weston said people would start getting fluoridated drinking water from their taps at different times.

He said commissioning would see staff look to confirm a consistent fluoride dose of between 0.7mg/l and 1mg/l, with a target setting of 0.85mg/l.

Testing would look at the full functionality of fluoride dosing and monitoring and include checking safeguards.

Wednesday is the latest Whangārei District Council can start the nine-day job of introducing fluoride if it is to meet the Government’s March 28 legal deadline or risk jail, about $5 million in costs, and the potential for the appointment of Government commissioners or a council observer.

However, the introduction start-up could just as easily stop as another part in the ongoing saga’s jigsaw plays.

In the High Court at Wellington on Tuesday, legal proceedings initiated by the council will seek a pause to the operational processes of introducing fluoride.

Whangārei District Council chief executive Simon Weston Photo / Susan Botting

Weston said special care would be needed when receiving fluoride. Hazardous materials procedures had to be followed and tanks and pipework double-checked.

Fluoride would be held in storage tanks. It would be transferred from those to day tanks and from there into the water system. Dilution systems would be checked.

Monday’s meeting, which is scheduled to be held in public, comes as a result of a canned meeting on Wednesday this week , where Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo and Deputy Mayor Phil Halse attempted to hold its predecessor behind closed doors but were blocked by seven councillors.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.