Drinking water is an essential part of our everyday life and access to safe drinking-water is a necessity for good health. Waterborne diseases can lead to outbreaks that can cause serious health complications.
Public Health works with water suppliers to ensure the quality and safety of the drinking water in our communities.
MidCentral DHB position statement on water fluoridation
Water fluoridation has been shown to have positive beneficial outcomes on dental health.
A 2014 review by Sir Peter Gluckman and the Royal Society of New Zealand identified water fluoridation as the safest and most appropriate approach for promoting dental public health, and found no adverse effects of any significance associated with its use at the levels used within New Zealand.
The benefits of community water fluoridation are most pronounced for those at risk of poor oral health. In New Zealand, Maori and Pacific people, and people living in more deprived areas, experience poorer oral health outcomes compared to other New Zealanders.
Public Health offers:
• Assistance to water suppliers on how to manage health risks and to improve water quality and safety
• Audit of water suppliers' own monitoring of water quality and safety
• Grade community water supplies
• Advice to the public on water supplies
Contact: 06 350 9110
Document Format
Most documents are available in Acrobat (PDF) format. Some documents are also available in other formats (doc, xls, html etc.) or as a printed version (hard copy). Please note, due to cost, a different format or printed version may not be available.
To request a different format or printed version, please contact the Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral Communications Unit.