Australia - Geelong to have flouride in its water within a year

Geelong to have flouride in its water within a year
Peter Begg
19Jun08
GEELONG'S water is expected to be fluoridated by this time next year, with infrastructure now being developed.
A spokesman for the state health department said yesterday Geelong would need at least three fluoride treatment plants for the project because of the configuration of its water supply.
The city's water is drawn from the Barwon catchment to the west and the Moorabool catchment to the north.
Fluoridation equipment was installed at Anakie, She Oaks and Wurdee Boluc Reservoir in 1986, but union bans stopped their commissioning just days before the tap was turned on, and the original equipment was dismantled many years ago.
Barwon Water managing director Michael Malouf said yesterday the authority was developing designs and getting estimates for new equipment.
"The next stage will be to seek agreement from the Department of Human Services before proceeding," he said.
While the DHS will foot the $500,000 bill for each water treatment plant, Barwon Water will call for the public tenders to carry out the work.
Anti-fluoride groups have continued to campaign against the medication, and have been joined by a new group running its own referendum on the debate. Voice set up a tent at Beckley Park Market last Saturday collecting signatures for its referendum. The group's Geelong co-ordinator, Anna Michalik, said the majority of people voting opposed fluoridation.
Ms Michalik said the group was more about people's democratic rights than the fluoride debate, but hoped to gain enough signatures to mount a High Court challenge.
The Barwon Association for Freedom from Fluoridation's David McRae welcomed Voice to the debate.
The health department's fluoridation timetable aim for the plants to be in operation well before Geelong is connected to Melbourne's water supply through an $80 million pipeline.
The water pumped from Melbourne to Geelong will also be fluoridated.
The State Government said work on the Melbourne-Geelong pipeline would start mid-2010, and Mr Malouf said Barwon Water was now working through the estimates of capital costs.
"The terms and conditions relating to use of the pipeline, which forms part of the Victorian Government's policy to expand the state water grid, have not been finalised," he said.