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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE04-20

April 14, 2004

Contact: Charles G. Sturcken (718) 595-6600

New York City DEP Will Resume Fluoridation of Croton Water Supply System

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will resume introduction of fluoride into the Croton water supply system. Upgrades and repair work on the fluoride feed system for the Croton system, which provides approximately ten percent of the City’s daily drinking water, required that fluoride cease to facilitate the work. Consumers in Westchester County as well as residents of the Bronx and Manhattan receive water from the Croton system.

In September 2003, the Croton System was taken out of service. The Croton system has historically been removed from service in late summer and fall. In 2003 unprecedented amounts of precipitation during the spring and summer increased storage in the City’s upstate Catskill and Delaware watersheds to unusually high levels. The Catskill and Delaware watersheds normally provide ninety percent of the City’s drinking water supply.

In January of 2004, the Croton supply was once again returned to service. However, because of uncompleted repairs to the feed system the resumption of fluoridation was delayed. Fluoride addition is currently on-going in the City’s Catskill/Delaware water supply system. The Croton water supply was not otherwise affected by the delay to the fluoride feed system.

Pursuant to the New York City Heath Code (Article 141), New York City is required to fluoridate the public water supply. Fluoride has been added to the City’s water supply since 1965. Intermittent disruption of fluoridation has taken place in the past. DEP had received authorization to proceed with the plan from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which agreed that a brief interruption of fluoridation to the Croton system would not have a significant impact on dental health.

For further information about the New York City water supply, contact DEP at 718 595-6600 or visit our web site at nyc.gov/dep. You may also contact New York City’s Citizen’s Service Center at 311. For questions or concerns about fluoridation and any affect it may have on dental health, call the DOHMH Bureau of Oral Health, Programs and Policy at (212) 978-5540 or visit the DOHMH web site at http://www.nyc.gov/health. You may also wish to contact the American Dental Association web site at http://www.ada.org/fluoride.aspx, or a dental practitioner.

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