❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses fluoride levels in WA water supplies, referencing a similar situation in the NT. The Minister confirms awareness of the NT situation and details WA's monitoring and mitigation strategies for elevated fluoride levels in certain communities.
AnsweredQoN 1396Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FLUORIDE LEVELS
1396. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I
refer to the news report by ABC Alice Springs on 1 November 2024 entitled ''Aboriginal
communities in remote NT sent bottled water after new research into
fluoride exposure''.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the Northern Territory government's water utility
last week began supplying bottled water to pre-teen children and pregnant women
in two remote Aboriginal communities because fluoride levels exceeded the safe
limit?
(2) Which areas
of Western Australia have fluoride levels exceeding the safe limit?
1396. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I
refer to the news report by ABC Alice Springs on 1 November 2024 entitled ''Aboriginal
communities in remote NT sent bottled water after new research into
fluoride exposure''.
(1) Is the
minister aware that the Northern Territory government's water utility
last week began supplying bottled water to pre-teen children and pregnant women
in two remote Aboriginal communities because fluoride levels exceeded the safe
limit?
(2) Which areas
of Western Australia have fluoride levels exceeding the safe limit?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Water.
(1) Yes.
(2) The Water Corporation monitors natural fluoride
levels for all of its water supplies to comply with the health requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. When trends in
natural fluoride levels exceed the ADWG, the Water Corporation, in consultation
with the Department of Health, issues a community advisory notification and
bottled water is provided to the relevant parts of the community.
The Water Corporation provides the
Aboriginal community of Bow River in the Kimberley with bottled water for children aged eight years and under, and
the communities of Crocodile Hole and Kiwirrkurra in the Kimberley and
Tjukurla in the goldfields for naturally elevated fluoride levels. In
Dunsborough, the Water Corporation de-fluoridates the water supply to reduce
naturally occurring levels in the groundwater to below the ADWG.
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Water.
(1) Yes.
(2) The Water Corporation monitors natural fluoride
levels for all of its water supplies to comply with the health requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. When trends in
natural fluoride levels exceed the ADWG, the Water Corporation, in consultation
with the Department of Health, issues a community advisory notification and
bottled water is provided to the relevant parts of the community.
The Water Corporation provides the
Aboriginal community of Bow River in the Kimberley with bottled water for children aged eight years and under, and
the communities of Crocodile Hole and Kiwirrkurra in the Kimberley and
Tjukurla in the goldfields for naturally elevated fluoride levels. In
Dunsborough, the Water Corporation de-fluoridates the water supply to reduce
naturally occurring levels in the groundwater to below the ADWG.
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