Logan seeking more information on de-fluoridation
Logan City Council has announced it is continuing to seek more information from SEQwater on the potential costs of de-fluoridating the council’s water supply.
The announcement comes after the State Government introduced amendments to the Fluoridation Act 2008, ensuring that flourdation of water supplies was now the prerogative of the local council bodies rather than a mandatory decision by the State Government.
However, under the amendments, councils would have to foot the bill of ceasing the fluoridation practice.
Roads and Water Infrastructure Committee Chairperson, Councillor Don Petersen (Division 4), said since then Council had been seeking clarification on what the amendments could mean for Logan and confirmed Council was delving deeper into the costs associated with any changes.
"Logan does not have its own water supply so given the complexity of the SEQ Water Grid serving the city, Council would be unable to make any decision in isolation," he said.
"It has been confirmed that any Council making a decision to cease to fluoride treatment must pay the potable water supplier's compliance costs. In our case this would be Seqwater's costs of complying with the decision, including infrastructure costs. Councils also need to ensure any decision has no adverse impact on other surrounding councils.”
Currently, SEQwater is continuing to add fluoride to drinking water on the grounds that no local council has opted to cease the practice.