Shelby County,AL not fluordated due to accident

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Subj: Fluoride Pump Explosion Almost Blinded Water Plant Operator 

Date: 2/22/2003 9:27:18 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Shelby County, Alabama, won't fluoridate. One reason, according to this

article, " One water system, Pelham Water Works, provided fluoridation between

1993 and 1995, but after an accident related to fluoridation, the process was

stopped. The accident involved a city worker who was injured when a pump

exploded as he tried to add fluoride to the system. 'We had a pump blow up

and about blinded one of our operators,' said Holler, director of the

water works. Fluoride got into the operator's eyes, Holler said. "

Dental dilemma

Shelby systems won't add fluoride

By WILLIAM C. SINGLETON III

BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD

Shelby County is often cited for its explosive growth and Republican

leanings. These days, it also has another designation: the county with the

most water systems without fluoridation.

" Primarily, the major bulk of water systems that could fluoridate but don't

are in Shelby County, " said Roy Kracke Jr., a retired pediatric dentist for

the University of Alabama at Birmingham who assisted in an Alabama Department

of Public Health study in November of all the state's water systems.

According to the survey, 81 percent of Alabama cities are fluoridated and 19

percent are not, most of them in Shelby County.

Of the 14 water systems in Shelby County, including the county's system,

eight do not fluoridate their drinking water. Those systems include Calera,

Columbiana, Harpersville, Indian Springs Village, Little Waxie, Pelham,

and ville.

" They have the money. They're large enough ... but have elected not to, "

Kracke said.

Spokesmen for the water systems say customers have not pushed for

flouridation, that the process is expensive, that their water meets quality

standards, and that, in some cases, adding fluoride can be dangerous.

The dental profession lists water fluoridation as one of the most important

medical advances of the past century.

" It's considered one of the top 10 major public health advances over the last

century, " said Ruby, UAB associate professor of pediatric dentistry.

" A child who drinks fluoridated water and maintains reasonable dental health

habits ... they can grow up and never have a single cavity, " said Wayne

McMahan, executive director of the Alabama Dental Association.

Fluoridation can reduce dental decay by up to 40 percent, according to Dr.

, chairman of the California Fluoridation Task Force, in an

interview with The Associated Press. And in large water systems, the cost to

fluoridate would add less than $1 per year per water customer, said ,

who also is head of dentistry for Los Angeles County, said in the interview.

The American Dental Association estimates that every $1 spent on adding

fluoride saves about $80 in dental health care costs.

Joe , mayor and member of the Water Board, said the

city doesn't see the need to add fluoride.

" We have a spring, but we put a little chlorine in it, but that's all, " he

said. " We have good water. We really don't need it. "

said the city's 900 water customers have never complained about the

lack of fluoride.

ville Mayor , also manager of the city's water system, said

officials have never considered adding fluoride.

" Our water has a good taste and we have no problem with it, " he said.

ville has about 1,550 residents, approximately 700 on the city's water

system. said adding fluoride likely would cost the system money it

doesn't have to spend, although he did have a cost estimate. ville

residents have never complained about the lack of fluoride in the water, he

said.

But if there was a groundswell of interest, the city would listen,

said.

With a population of nearly 5 million in Alabama, about 4 million people are

getting fluoridation through their water, Kracke said. That's better than

California, for instance, where only 37 percent of residents receive

fluoridated drinking water, according to an Associated Press report.

In some cases, fluoride occurs naturally in well water, though not at the

recommended level. To have any dental benefit, the ratio needs to be one part

fluoride per million parts water, according to dental experts.

The state also requires water systems that use fluoride to have a full-time

operator on duty, making fluoridation cost prohibitive for some water

services, Kracke added.

One water system, Pelham Water Works, provided fluoridation between 1993 and

1995, but after an accident related to fluoridation, the process was stopped.

The accident involved a city worker who was injured when a pump exploded as

he tried to add fluoride to the system.

" We had a pump blow up and about blinded one of our operators, " said

Holler, director of the water works. Fluoride got into the operator's eyes,

Holler said.

Also, in Pelham, it's difficult to add fluoride to city water because many of

its wells don't have surface water ponds where the substance can be poured

in. Instead, fluoride must be pumped into the wells, he said, and when the

wells are running, that can create excessive pressure, which Holler believes

resulted in the accident.

Holler said it would cost the system more to install the necessary equipment

to add fluoride to the water.

He also suggested children should drink more water.

" In order for it to do any good you have to drink this water, " Holler said.

" Now how many kids drink water today? ... They drink things like juice. ...

But if they don't drink the water, they don't get the benefit of the

fluoride. "

With fluoride supplements available in grocery and drug stores, residents

also can get fluoride through other sources than drinking water, Holler said.

Some Pelham residents interviewed weren't fazed by the news.

" I think it would be a good thing to have, but I never really noticed there

wasn't fluoride in the water, " said Rob Schoenmeyer, 35.

He said his two children, ages 4 and 2, don't have cavities so the lack of

fluoride in their drinking water hasn't had a big impact.

" We're pretty good at brushing their teeth, " Schoenmeyer said. " That's why

it's not a big issue for me. "

Peggy Cleveland, 63, said while her sons were young, they lived in Indiana

and their water system had fluoride.

" They grew up with basically no dental problems, " she said. But her sons are

adults now, so it's not a big issue with her.

" I would think it probably would be beneficial, " Cleveland said. " Now at the

age I am, it's not a big deal. "

To help people with the fluoride issue, Kracke and Mac Spurlin, director of

fluoride installation for the state Health Department, who conducted the

survey for the agency, have compiled a list of nearly 600 water systems in

Alabama.

They forwarded that list to the Alabama Dental Association and the Alabama

Medical Association with the names and numbers of each water system in the

state.

Dentists with offices served by those water systems or with clients served by

a particular water system can find out if fluoride is in their drinking

water. From there, they can determine whether they need to recommend a

fluoride supplement, he said.

http://www.postherald.com/insight.shtml