Frequently Asked Questions
Answers obtained from Hamilton City Council via Local Government Official Information Act.The Hamilton City Council (HCC) networked water supply is fluoridated. Fluoride is added at Waiora Water Treatment Plant and supplied to Hamilton City and Temple View supply zones. The water also supplies the on-site Reverse Osmosis (RO) system at Claudelands Grandstand. The RO system reduces fluoride back to trace levels and supplies the Claudelands Grandstand public tap.
HCC also owns and operates a bore supply at Taitua Arboretum. No fluoride is added to this supply.
HCC uses Hydrofluorosilicic Acid (HFA) to fluoridate Hamilton’s drinking water.
HCC adjusts the natural fluoride content of water sourced from the Waikato River to achieve the Ministry of Health recommended level for dental health benefit.
The dental health target of fluoride in treated water is between 0.7 milligrams per litre (mg/L) and 1.0 mg/L.
The maximum acceptable value (MAV) in the Water Services (Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand) Regulations 2022 (DWSNZ) is 1.5 mg/L.
Process alarms and automatic interlocks prevent fluoride levels exceeding 1.0 mg/L in water leaving the treatment plant. On occasion, levels may fall below the dental health target of 0.7 mg/L when for maintenance purposes.
Fluoride levels are continuously monitored at the water treatment plant using online instrumentation. Additional grab samples are taken weekly, representing in-process and final water leaving the plant. Grab samples are also analysed from Claudelands Grandstand tap at least weekly.
Fluoride analysis of grab samples is undertaken by International accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) accredited laboratories. Qualified and trained operators are responsible for calibration and verification checks of the online instrumentation at the treatment plant.
There is no direct wastewater stream for the fluoridation process at Waiora Treatment Plant. Treated, fluoridated water is used to wash sand filters at Waiora Treatment Plant, and the resulting filter backwash wash water is stored and discharged to the Waikato River in accordance with the conditions of HCC’s Resource Consent 105261 – Discharge to Water.
There are no limits for fluoride in the Resource Consent.
Hamilton’s wastewater is transported via the wastewater network and is treated at the Pukete Wastewater Treatment Plant on Pukete Road. Treated effluent is discharged to the Waikato River in accordance with Resource Consent 114674 – Discharge of Treated Wastewater to the Waikato River.
In addition to the filter backwash Resource Consent 105261 discussed above, HCC holds Resource Consent 107903 – Discharge to Water, relating to the management of the Waiora Treatment Plant stormwater system to protect the Waikato River from potentially harmful discharges from the treatment plant site. The Resource Consent refers to section 3.4 of the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality to determine whether a substance is hazardous to aquatic life. There is no trigger limit for fluoride in these guides.
Accidental discharges of concentrated chemicals like HFA to the Waiora Treatment Plant stormwater system, are prevented through procedures to minimise the risk of spills or leaks and containment using chemical bunding consistent with Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO) requirements for Secondary Containment Systems.
The HCC Pukete wastewater treatment plant Resource Consent 114674 does not include discharge limits for fluoride being discharged.
The Waiora and Pukete Treatment Plant consents specify the conditions relating to the discharges to the Waikato River. These consents do not have requirements relating to fluoride.
HCC is required to add fluoride to drinking water under the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021. Under this legislation, water suppliers, like HCC, that were already fluoridating water when the legislation came into effect, are required to continue to do so.
The table below includes an estimation of the breakdown of annual costs associated with the fluoridation of Hamilton’s water supply.
| Annual Cost | |
Hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFA) inclusive of Transportation | $40,000 | |
Labour costs | $16,800 | |
Maintenance & consumables | $10,000 | |
Monitoring & calibration | $32,000 | |
Safety costs (training & certification) | $ 5,000 | |
Total Estimated Annual cost of Fluoridation | $103,800 | |
Refer table above.
Sampling and Analysis costs relating to fluoride grab samples for the year 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 were approximately $26,800. This is included in the Monitoring and calibration figure in the table.
Hydrofluorosilicic Acid, along with other water treatment chemicals used on site are procured through a public tendering process. However, the unit rates are covered by confidentiality clauses. Therefore, this information has been withheld under Section 7(2)(i) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 – in that release would prejudice or disadvantage the ability of a local authority holding the information to carry on negotiations. Notwithstanding this, please refer to the first line of the table for the total estimated annual cost of Hydrofluorosilicic acid for the fluoridation of Hamilton’s water supply.
The volume of Hydrofluorosilicic Acid that is added to Hamilton’s water is dependent on the total water produced as well as the naturally occurring background levels of fluoride in the Waikato River water and as such can vary. Based on average water demand and levels of naturally occurring fluoride found in the Waikato River, an average of 127 kilograms of Hydrofluorosilicic acid is added to 62,314,113 litres of water produced on average each day at the water treatment plant.
Public Sources for non-fluoridated water
On 21st April 2016 the Hamilton City Council approved a site at the Claudelands Events Centre to install a public source of non-fluoridated water with a capital cost of $70,000.It is a handy central city location, conveniently placed near the venue for Hamilton’s Sunday Farmer’s Market. To find the tap, use Gate 2 off Heaphy Terrace, which leads to the historic Grandstand building. There is plenty of parking and the tap is in the carpark just by the children’s playground and the public toilets.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) was found to be the most appropriate treatment technology for this type of water filling station. As chlorine is added to this water supply, it achieves an ‘A’ grading. It became operational on 29 September 2016
This outlet has two taps at different heights as well as a drinking fountain. The lower tap has a hose connection suitable for connecting ordinary flexible garden hoses, for easy filling of large containers that are too heavy to lift.
An existing natural shallow bore water supply at the beautiful Taitua Arboretum (6.4km out of town on Howden Rd, Whatawhata) has also been endorsed as a suitable source of public non-fluoridated water, with the addition of an Ultra Violet (UV) filter now achieving it a ‘B’ grading with NZ Drinking Water Standards. No chlorine is added to this water. There is a single tap supplied at this site. The carpark is open 7 days a week from 8am to half an hour before dusk
Not surprisingly there is a steady stream of enthusiastic “pure water” users queuing up at both outlets on a daily basis. Of course, what Hamilton residents really need is non-fluoridated water coming out of their own taps at home, but in the meantime, the two public non-fluoridated outlets are better than nothing.
Past Campaigns
2015
2014
27 March 2014 The Herald Hamilton votes to restart fluoridation.
On the 3rd July 2014 fluoridation was restarted due to a referendum.
Legal action by SWANZ was withdrawn on 3 September 2014.
2013 Hamilton Referendum
Following the cessation of fluoridation in June, a campaign to get fluoridation on the ballot box for the upcoming local council elections was spear-headed by councillor, Ewan Wilson, who was vying for the mayoralty. This councillor initiated a petition along with the dentists in the city, and managed to persuade the other councillors to agree to the referendum.
The local District Health Board (DHB) spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on an advertising campaign and as most New Zealanders have been indoctrinated into believing fluoridation is a good thing, it was a near on impossible to get good information out to the public,. The DHB did things such as run pro fluoridation ads on their TV screens at the Accidental and Emergency Department and through the speakers in the lifts at the hospital. They included a pro-fluoridation message at the end of every email they sent.
Unfortunately, the end result was 68% of the 34% of the population that voted, voted to restart fluoridation.
2013 Hamilton City Council Tribunal
On the 5th of June 2013 Hamilton city councillors voted 7 to 1 to stop fluoridation after attending a four-day Tribunal style hearing.
See Overview of the Hamilton Fluoridation Debate in 2013
Before the Summing up by both sides, councillors posed the following three questions to both sides. Do you agree:
1. Fluoride works by topical application to teeth? 2. There is no known benefit of fluoride to pre-eruptive teeth? 3. Swallowing fluoride toothpaste is harmful to health?
Both sides agreed to all three questions; that fluoride works topically, ingesting fluoride toothpaste is dangerous and that there is no benefit to pre-erupted teeth. In other words, fluoride works by contact to the teeth ONLY.
See Reasons the Council gave for deciding to end fluoridation.
The entire Hamilton Tribunal Hearing is on the Hamilton City Council’s YouTube account.
Councillor Dave McPherson talks about the Tribunal process and his journey in the Fluoridation Debate
28th September 2013 Waikato Times Who’s right and wrong in Hamilton’s fluoride debate?”
28th September 2013 Waikato Times Hamilton Speaks We want fluoride
21st September 2013 Waikato Times Felicity Dumble Fluoride Opponent fakes DHB staffers facebook page
21st September 2013 Waikato Times Hamilton’s Fluoride decision creates more jobs
19th September 2013 Waikato Times Fluoride bullies force meeting no show
14th September 2013 Waikato Times Candidates take stands on fluoride issue
9th September 2013 Waikato Times Anti-fluoride billboard divides dentists
23rd August 2013 Waikato Times Anti fluoride campaigner tries to silence science – note this person was not associated with Fluoride Free Hamilton and newspaper were advised, but never printed a retraction
23rd August 2013 Hamilton Press Fluoride Group Praises Council
19th August 2013 Waikato Times Editorial Fluoride – Facts versus Fiction
16th August 2013 Waikato Times DHB fumes over HCC’s anti-fluoride fliers
13th August Waikato Times Dentist Slam Hamilton City Council’s anti-fluoride pamphlet
4th July 2013 Waikato Times Fluoride referendum voters will get their say
4th July 2013 Waikato Times Fluoride decision pending signatures
Waikato Times 1st July 2013 Fluoride supporters signing up
Scoop 26th June 2013 DHB Member Says Its Time to Move On
Waikato Times 25th June 2013 Fluoride petition to be printed in Waikato Times
Waikato Times 25th June 2013 Hamilton-wide fluoride referendum to be debated.
Waikato Times 20th June 2013 Hamilton’s fluoride switch ready to be flicked
Waikato Times 15th June 2013 Gallagher backing fluoride referendum Note: we were advised by Cr Gallagher that this is defintely not what he said the to the Waikato Times
Campbell Live 14th June 2013 Should fluoride be put to a referendum?
Waikato Times 14th June 2013 PM back fluoride as calls for referendum grow
TV One 13th June 2013 Push for fluoridation referendum in Hamilton
City News June 2013 Council notification about fluoridation ending
Waikato Times 8th June 2013 Fluoride debate Public disagrees with Council
NZ Herald 7th June 2013 Mary Byrne Against fluoridation Opinion Piece
Stuff National 7th June 2013 Judith Collins slams city council
Campbell Live 6th June 2013
TV1 6 o’clock News 6th June 2013
Campbell Live 5th June 2013
TV1 News 10 o’clock news 5th June 2013
Hamilton City Council 5th June 2013 Hamilton to end fluoride in water
NZ Herald 2nd June 2013 Pull-outs tip balance in fluoride vote
Waikato Times 29th May 2013 Hamilton health experts bare teeth over fluoride
Waikato Times 28th May 2013 Fluoride Opponent: It’s a done deal
Waikato Times 22nd February 2013 The Case Against Fluoride
Waikato Times 2nd February 2013 Opinion Piece
Waikato Times 21st January 2013 Fluoride Debate Fuelled
New Zealand Herald 11th June 2012 Council Axes Fluoride Referendum
Waikato Times 11th April 2011 Fluoride Back on the Agenda
May 2013 – A huge response to the Hamilton Fluoridation Tribunal Hearing:
- 1557 submissions received
- 170 support the continuation of fluoride
- 1385 support the stopping of fluoride
- 2 had no stance (commented on process or mandate of council to decide)
This represents a whopping 89% wanting fluoridation stopped. Council originally recieved 141 requests to speak. 130 wanting fluoridation stopped and only 11 wanting it continued. Most of the 11 people were dentists or dental therapists. .
According to Hamilton City Council:
A total of 984 submitters indicated they were Hamilton residents or ratepayers. A further 74 submitters indicated they were Hamilton water users (but not ratepayers or residents).
The key reasons for submitters wanting Council to stop the fluoridation of the Hamilton water supply were around individuals having the right to choose what they ingest (994), the links between fluoride to a number of illnesses, risks and harm (807) and the perception that fluoride is considered ineffective (741).
Of those wishing Council to continue to fluoridate the water supply (170), the key reasons were the perception that fluoridating the water supply is a cost-effective population-based strategy to prevent dental cavities (124), that there is scientific research to support fluoridation (45) and people citing their own experiences with the benefits (or problems due to the lack) of fluoride (46).
Fluoride Free Hamilton Newsletters:
28th February 2013 – details about Fluoridation Tribunal
Tribunal Process for Consultation
Hamilton city councillors have decided on a Tribunal style process as the method for consulting residents on whether they would like to stop fluoridation.
Submissions will be accepted from the 1st of March to the 2nd of April. People can say if they would like to speak or not.
The Hearing will be held on the 28th and 29th of May 2013 and maybe the 30th of May if there are lots of people wanting to speak. There will also be 1 hour for each side to give a primary presentation plus each person who said on their submission that they would like to speak, will be given ten minutes.
2011
Public Consultation or Referendum in HCC Long Term Plan
Fluoridation was the 3rd most popular topic submitted to the Hamilton City Council for the 2011/2012 draft Annual Plan with over 100 submissions. An afternoon was set aside to hear from all the people who wished to speak to their submission. It kicked off with Dr Peter Scanlon (Poisoning Paradise fame) followed by Dr Vernon Kruger (local dentist) and then all the other Hamiltonians. This has resulted in a very successful outcome with Cr Dave McPherson successfully tabling an amendment to include a referendum or public consultation on stopping the addition of fluoride to the city water supply in the 2012-2022 Long Term Plan. Well done all, next year will be the year for Hamilton unless anyone can convince the Council to turn off the fluoride in the meantime.
Notes from the meeting:
Motion: (Her Worship the Mayor/Cr Westphal)
That Council continue the practice of adding fluoride to Hamilton’s water supply in the target range of 0.7 mg/l and 0.8 mg/l.
Amendment: (Crs Macpherson/Gower)
That Council signals the intention to consult, including the possibility of a referendum, concerning the removal of artificial fluoridation from Hamilton’s water supply as part of the 2012/2022 Long Term Plan.
Those for Her Worship the Mayor, Councillors Bell, Chesterman, Forsyth, Gallagher, Gower, Hennebry, Mahood, the Amendment: O’Leary, Westphal and Wilson.
The Amendment was declared carried.
The Amendment as the Motion was then put and declared carried on the voices.
Friday, 29 April 2011, 4:34 pm Press Release:Hamilton City Council
Record number of Annual Plan submissions received More than 1600 submissions have been received for Hamilton City Council’s Proposed 2011/12 Annual Plan. In total 1605 submissions were received during the period from 21 March to 21 April 2011 – making it Council’s biggest Proposed Annual Plan/LTCCP submission process in over 10 years.
The main issues referred to in the submissions include the proposed cycling velodrome (over 900 submissions), the proposed Hamilton to Auckland passenger train service (over 200 submissions), requests to remove fluoride from Hamilton’s water supply (over 100 submissions) and the establishment of Council Controlled Organisations (over 30 submissions)……..Hearings for submissions have been set down for 10-12 May. The submissions will be made available at www.hamilton.co.nz/apsubmissions by Wednesday. The total number of submissions received during the 2010/11 Annual Plan process was 184. ENDS
Saturday, 16th April 2011
Public meeting and presentation by world leading fluoridation expert, U.S. Prof Emeritus Paul Connett: 2pm – 4pm, at Celebrating Age Centre, Victoria St South.
Workshop with Paul Connett at Hamilton City Council, 10.30am: open to public.
Sign the Petition! Send this link to everyone you know in Hamilton.
Stop Fluoridation Petition Launched in Hamilton
Download this for a paper based copy and ask friends and family to sign Hamilton Stop Fluoridation Petition.doc
2006
In 2006 a referendum was held where 70% of people voted FOR fluoridation. However only 38% of people voted..
2005
A huge amount of work was done in Hamilton in 2003 presenting information to the Hamilton City Council and getting out in the community spreading information.
A Council meeting was held where campaigners presented the anti-fluoridation position while the Ministry flew someone in from Wellington to support the local DHB representative in giving the “pro” side – with the standard issue PowerPoint presentation. The presenter couldn’t even get dates and basic facts right, and obviously knew nothing of the subject – just parroting the propaganda she had been fed.
Because of the pressure exerted both by these campaigners and some of the councillors, the Hamilton City Council agreed to commission an independent report of the fluoridation issue. However they actually organised for one of their officers to do it. It all looked very hopeful with the scientist, Marcus Shipton, being supplied with a huge amount of research material which he seemed eager to study. We thought that the council would then vote to have a referendum on the issue at the next local body elections.
But not to be. The report was appalling:
- It failed to cover the issues raised before the council – contamination of the substance used (HFA) and lack of any human health safety testing;
- It failed to give a single scientific reference to substantiate any of the standard generalisations used in promotional propaganda;
- It completely misrepresented the York Review findings – in spite of Mr Shipton having the public statement by the chairman of the review board;
- And in the absence of facts, recited the usual references to “reputable world bodies” who support fluoridation to hide the report’s total ineptitude.
The Hamilton City Council voted 6 to 5 to remain with fluoridation.
Campaigners will continue to work in Hamilton. We commend those councillors who have already stood up against this misguided practice. It only needs one more councillor to change their mind and Hamilton will go the other way. It only needs one more councillor to realise that people have a fundamental right to decide what they drink and what medication they take.
So the battle is on: what can you do to end fluoridation and protect your own health?
Hamilton remains fluoridated, but the issue will be raised for the local body elections in 2004.