Water Fluoridation Subsidy Update
Subsidies to fluoridate drinking water can now cover the whole cost of the capital works of a fluoridation project at the discretion of the Health Minister. Under the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme (SWSS) which came into effect on 1 July last year, the subsidy available for works needed to add fluoride to community drinking water was 50 percent of the cost of capital works.
The Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme is a government initiative to help small to medium sized communities upgrade sewage treatment and disposal facilities and add fluoride to drinking water. The Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd report for the Ministry of Health, "The Cost Effectiveness of Fluoridated Water Supplies in NZ" (released in February 2000) showed that fluoridated water can be cost-effective for a community of 1000 people or even fewer.
Communities wanting to take advantage of the subsidy can get further information from the Ministry's website (Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme) www.moh.govt.nz/water and click on "publications", or contact their local public health service where applications can be made to the Medical Officer of Health |
Contact for Enquiries
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
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