The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has extended the deadline to respond to its consultation on water fluoridation expansion in north east England from 17th June to 31 July 2024.
The Department first launched the consultation on its proposal to request Northumbrian Water (NWL), to enter into new fluoridation arrangements, and to vary existing agreements on 25th March.
Around 1 in 10 people in England (c 6 million people) currently have fluoride added to their drinking water supplies – the DHSS is seeking to expand community water fluoridation schemes across the north east of England.
The government can require water companies to increase the naturally occurring concentration of fluoride in water supplies to 1.0 mg/L - well within WHO’s recommended maximum level. Similar schemes operate around the world covering an estimated 400 million people, including in the USA, Canada and Ireland.
The DHSC has asked NWL to investigate whether it would be operable and efficient to supply fluoridated water throughout the rest of the north east of England, which could largely be achieved by introducing the necessary equipment at existing water treatment works.
The revised deadline to submit responses to the consultation is 11:59pm on 31 July 2024 – click here to access the consultation online.