Award recognizes towns for water fluoridation job
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded 71 communities in Michigan, including several in Southeast Michigan area, a Water Fluoridation Quality Award, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release on Nov. 5.
The award recognizes communities that maintained a consistent level of optimally fluoridated water throughout 2019, which, including systems in Michigan, was a total of 1,523 water systems nationwide.
According to the CDC, fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride in the water to a level that is optimal for preventing tooth decay. Every $1 invested in fluoridation saved at least $38 in costs for dental treatment.
“Michigan consistently exceeds the CDC recommendations for community water supplies by having 90 percent of our population on community water systems accessing fluoridated water; and, this year, we had a 26 percent increase in the number of award recipients,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health for MDHHS, said in the release.
“These awards demonstrate the commitment to quality by these community water systems. Water fluoridation has demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay throughout one’s lifetime and benefits all residents.”
Michigan communities receiving the award included:
• Ann Arbor
• Bangor
• Baraga
• Battle Creek-Verona System
• Bay Area Water System
• Belding
• Benton Township
• Big Rapids
• Blissfield
• Bridgman
• Buchanan
• Clare
• Dowagiac
• Lake Bella Vista
• Linden
• Lwell
• Ludington
• Manchester
• Manistique
• Marshall
• Mason
• Menominee Water Department
• MHOG (Marion, Howell, Oceola and Genoa) Sewer & Water Authority
• Michigan State University
• Midland
• Milford
• East Jordan
• Eaton Rapids
• Elk Rapids
• Escanaba Water
• Fenton
• Fremont
• Genesee County Water System
• Gladstone Water Department
• Grand Rapids
• Gratiot Area Water Authority
• Great Lakes Water Authority
• Harbor Springs
• Hartford
• Hastings
• Hillsdale
• Holland Board of Public Works
• Howell
• Huron Shore Reg. Util. Authority
• Ionia
• Jackson
• Jonesville
• K I Sawyer
• Kalamazoo
• Monroe
• Munsing
• Muskegon
• Negaunee-Ishpeming Authority
• New Buffalo
• Niles
• Plainfield Township
• Plainwell
• Saginaw
• Schoolcraft
• Sparta
• St. Clair
• St. Clair Water and Sewer Authority
• St. Ignace Water Treatment
• St. Johns
• St. Joseph
• Standish
• Summit Township
• Traverse City
• Wakefield
• Wayland
• Wyoming
For more information about water flurination, visit the CDC website.