Patrick Lion and AAP
May 14, 2009 05:15pm
ABOUT 20 times the recommended fluoride was accidentally added to Brisbane water supplies two weeks ago.
Premier Anna Bligh today said the first breach of safety guidelines had occurred between 9am and midday on Friday May 1.
The water should have had 1.5 milligrams per litre of fluoride but test results released this week showed it had between 30 and 31 milligrams per litre.
About 300,000 litres of water was released from a fluoride treatment plant at North Pine Dam.
The water flowed into as many as 4000 households in Brendale and Warner on Brisbane's northside.
Ms Bligh, who was alerted to the issue last night, today moved to reassure people, saying there was a very remote chance of any health issues, particularly given symptoms would have emerged by now .
Queensland Health has not received any reports of ill-effects.
The effects of a fluoride overdose are symptoms similar to gastro enteritis.
Ms Bligh said she was angry about the bungle and has ordered a full investigation.
"While I am very concerned about this incident, it does not concern me in relation to the benefits of fluoride in our drinking system,'' she said.
"Our plants treat our water for a range of safety purposes, so I want to understand what happened in this case.
"But it does not for one minute shake my confidence that fluoride is one of the most significant public health leaps forward of the last century.''
Ms Bligh said the incident was unprecedented at any other fluoride treatment plant in Australia.
"There will be a thorough investigation of this issue,'' she said.
There are at least three safety checks which are believed to have failed.
The bungle is believed to have occurred during a routine shutdown for maintenance at the plant.
Operations shut down but the fluoride pump didn't.
It effectively overdosed an amount of water which was released into the pipes when the plant resumed operations.
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the amount of fluoride that passed through the pipes over a three hour period was "of no health concern at all''.
"I''m confident the risk of anyone having suffered any adverse health outcome is remote - if indeed not zero,'' she said.
Dr Young said for there to be a health risk the levels would have to be much higher and for much longer than three hours.
"It's a high level in terms of what's provided in the water but it's a low level in terms of any risk,'' she said.
Ms Bligh said Mark Pascoe, CEO of the International Water Centre based in Brisbane, will run the investigation.
"As an immediate precaution when any water treatment plants are shut down for normal maintenance, there will be a manual shutdown of the fluoride dosing equipment,'' she said.
Latest Comments:
I moved to Townsville 12 years ago and I now work with a lady who has lived in Townsville her whole life (47 years). She happily tells everyone that the Townsville water is perfect to drink and she has done so all of her life, yet she suffers badly from fluorosis. This is especially by the multiple white spots and stripes in all of her teeth. I have met her siblings, who did not grow up in Townsville, and they are not affected in the same way. Why do we persist with the risk when we do not know the facts? I have purchased a machine that makes Water from Air from URWater in Brisbane so my children will never have to drink fluoride.
Posted by: Flouride City of 9:40am today
Ms Bligh has just assured us that such an accident will not happen again, but in North America, ever since fluoride was introduced, there have been hundreds of "reported" accidents due to malfunctions of pumping equipment, computers, switches, motors, and mistakes by technicians. Many people - including technicians - have died, or been permanently injured in these overdose incidents. It is obvious, when public health could be jeopardized, that said technicians need very special training but, given this government's attitude to health and education, it seems possible that there won't be much money invested in adequately training these technicians. Remember, fluoride is second only to arsenic in toxicity, is a proven carcinogen, accumulates in bones and soft tissues, and is particularly dangerous for children, the elderly and people with kidney problems. Thousands of people die at the hands of medical professionals every year, because of "accidents", but these people have had years of rigorous training, know the condition of each patient, know the effects of drugs, and control dosage, yet mistakes are made. Fluoride is deadly, yet it is mandated by an inept government, and administered in uncontrolled dosages, not by doctors or nurses, but by people with dubious qualifications. This government is like a bunch of school children allowed free run of a sweet shop. Are we going to continue to play Russian Roulette at the hands of these clowns?
Posted by: Hilton Devlin of Stanthorpe 10:23am May 16, 2009
I am allergic to fluoride and it is a real battle. I really feel for people out there like me that have been misdiagnosed, Having worked as a producer in Radio I read where an aluminum smelter when it was being built was unable to let the toxic waste product out of the chimney stacks as it killed all flora and fauna. Instead some bright spark come up with the idea that is was good for children's teeth so it is bagged and added to our water supplies, no wonder our rivers are dying. It has been proven fluoride is no good for children's teeth after 6 years of age. There is an option - parents who want to their children to have fluoride can give them tablets each day. I believe they get enough fluoride out of toothpaste without having to take tablets. It is now up to the people of Australia to speak out and stop the mass medication of this very toxic substance.
Posted by: J.M. Shanahan of Albury 2:44pm May 15, 2009
Didn't the Health Minister in November last year say that 0.8mg/L of fluoride was the maximum amount of fluoride that could be put in the drinking water? Why is it now 1.5mg/L? Are safe limits nearly twice as much as before? With between 30 and 31 gm/L of fluoride being let into the water, that's 37-38 times more than what was safe in November last year. I suppose if you just bump up the safe level to 20gm/L they would have only added 50% too much. Oopps. Sorry! My bad. I'm well on my way to becoming a politician thinking like that aren't I?
Posted by: Bob of Brisbane 2:24pm May 15, 2009
Ms Bligh; do you know how you can make this problem just... go away? So it will never happen again?
Take fluoride out of our water. It's mass-medication.
Posted by: James Hultgren of Brisbane 10:15am May 15, 2009
To everyone who has suffered health problems associated with drinking fluoridated drinking water. Contact blighs office. She said she would be personally responsible for any health damages arising from consuming fluoridated water.
Posted by: meredith Jayne of sunshine coast 10:04am May 15, 2009
It's time for the Government to "detox" our water supplies and turn off the addition of fluoride.This largely unwanted forced mass medication is not the right of any Government to enforce upon it's people
Posted by: Peter of Brisbane 9:00am May 15, 2009
I shouldn't have to put up with, and pay extra for, POISON in my water. Can I suggest this is just another nail in Captain Blighs NANNY STATE coffin!!!. I just don't understand how they manage to cover it up for two weeks before coming clean, hoping everyones forgotten about feeling 'crook' I guess!
Posted by: K Metcalfe of Wynnum North 8:48am May 15, 2009