R 325.10408a Special notice when fluoride level is above 2 mg/l.

Rule 408a.  (1) Suppliers of community water systems that measure fluoride above 2 mg/l as determined by the last single sample taken under R 325.10710, but do not exceed the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 4 mg/l for fluoride under R 325.10604c, shall provide the public notice in subrule (3) of this rule to persons served.  Public notice shall be provided as soon as practical but not later than that of a tier 3 public notice under R 325.10404(2)(a).  A copy of the notice shall also be sent to all new billing units and new customers under R 325.10406(1) and to the local health department.  The department may, on a case-by-case basis, in the best interest of health, safety, welfare, and the environment, require an initial notice sooner than 12 months or applicable repeat notices more frequently than annually, or both.

(2) The form and manner of the public notice, including repeat notices, shall follow the requirements for a tier 3 public notice in R 325.10404(3) and (4)(a) and (4)(c).

(3) The notice shall contain the following language, including the language necessary to fill in the blanks:

"This is an alert about your drinking water and a cosmetic dental problem that might affect children under 9 years of age.  At low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities, but children drinking water containing more than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of fluoride may develop cosmetic discoloration of their permanent teeth (dental fluorosis).  The drinking water provided by your community water system [name] has a fluoride concentration of [insert value] mg/l.

Dental fluorosis, in its moderate or severe forms, may result in a brown staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth.  This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums.  Children under 9 should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water or water that has been treated to remove the fluoride to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting of their permanent teeth.  You may also want to contact your dentist about proper use by young children of fluoride-containing products.  Older children and adults may safely drink the water.

Drinking water containing more than 4 mg/l of fluoride (the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water standard) can increase your risk of developing bone disease.  Your drinking water does not contain more than 4 mg/l of fluoride, but we're required to notify you when we discover that the fluoride levels in your drinking water exceed 2 mg/l because of this cosmetic dental problem.

For more information, please call [name of water system contact] of [name of community water system] at [phone number].  Some home water treatment units are also available to remove fluoride from drinking water.  To learn more about available home water treatment units, you may call NSF International at 1-877-8-NSF-HELP."

History:   2003 MR 2, Eff. Jan. 29, 2003.