S.I. No. 278/1964 - Fluoridation of Water Supplies (Westmeath) Regulations, 1964.


S.I. No. 278 of 1964.

FLUORIDATION OF WATER SUPPLIES (WESTMEATH) REGULATIONS, 1964.

The Minister for Health having complied with subsection (4) of Section 2 of the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960 (No. 46 of 1960) and having consulted with the Minister for Local Government, hereby makes the following Regulations :—

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Fluoridation of Water Supplies (Westmeath) Regulations, 1964.

2. In these Regulations :

" the Minister " means the Minister for Health ;

" the Council " means the Council of the County of Westmeath.

3. The Council shall arrange, in accordance with these Regulations, for the fluoridation of the public water supplies specified in the First Schedule to these Regulations.

4.—(1) The Council of the Urban District of Athlone, shall, as agent for the Council, perform the following acts in relation to the fluoridation of water in the public water supply referred to in paragraph 1 of the First Schedule to these Regulations :

(a) the provision, installation and maintenance of equipment for fluoridation,

(b) the making of arrangements for the addition of fluorine to the water, and

(c) the testing of the fluorine content of the water to which fluorine has been added.

(2) The Council shall perform the following acts in relation to the fluoridation of water in the public water supplies referred to in paragraphs 2 to 5 of the First Schedule to these Regulations :

(a) the provision, installation and maintenance of equipment for fluoridation,

(b) the making of arrangements for the addition of fluorine to the water, and

(c) the testing of the fluorine content of the water to which fluorine has been added.

5. The amount of fluorine which may be added to a water supply in accordance with these Regulations shall be such that the water, after the addition of the fluorine, shall contain not more than one part of fluorine per million parts of water, and not less than eight-tenths of a part of fluorine per million parts of water.

6. Fluorine may be added to a public water supply in accordance with these Regulations either in the form of sodium fluoride complying with the specification for that substance in the Second Schedule to these Regulations, or in the form of sodium silicofluoride complying with the specification for that substance in the said Schedule, or in such other form as may be approved by the Minister.

7. Equipment used for the fluoridation of the public water supplies specified in the First Schedule to these Regulations shall be such as may be specified or approved by the Minister for Local Government.

8. The fluorine content of the public water supplies specified in the First Schedule to these Regulations to which fluorine has been added shall be determined daily by a colorimetric method and, in addition, shall be determined by a distillation method at intervals not exceeding two weeks during the period of six months after the date on which fluorine shall have been first so added and thereafter at intervals not exceeding four weeks.

Article 3

FIRST SCHEDULE

Public Water Supplies

1. The Athlone piped water supply.

2. The Mullingar piped water supply.

3. The Moate piped water supply.

4. The Kilbeggan piped water supply.

5. The Castlepollard piped water supply.

Article 6

SECOND SCHEDULE

(1) Specification for Sodium Fluoride

The substance shall contain a minimum of 98 per cent sodium fluoride (NaF) by weight, providing 44.3 per cent available fluorine.

It shall not contain any toxic or harmful impurities when dissolved in water.

The content of insoluble material shall not exceed 0.5 per cent.

The moisture content shall not exceed 0.5 per cent.

The substance shall have a crystalline form (20-40 mesh particle size) and shall be free from dust.

(2) Specification for Sodium Silicofluoride

The substance shall contain a minimum of 98 per cent. sodium silicofluoride (Na2SiF6) by weight, providing 59 per cent. available fluorine.

It shall not contain any toxic or harmful impurities when dissolved in water.

The content of insoluble material shall not exceed 0.5 per cent.

The moisture content shall not exceed 0.5 per cent.

The substance shall be in the form of a powder and shall conform to the following sieve tests :—

(a) 100 per cent. to pass through a 40 mesh sieve ;

(b) 95 per cent. to pass through a 100 mesh sieve ; and

(c) not less than 5 per cent. nor more than 35 per cent. to pass through a 325 mesh sieve.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health this thirtieth day of November, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixty-four.

SEÁN MAC ENTEE,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These regulations require the Westmeath County Council to arrange for the fluoridation of the public water supplies specified in the First Schedule, in accordance with the conditions set out in Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8. Under Article 4, the Athlone Urban District Council, acting as agent for the Westmeath County Council, are required to perform certain acts in relation to the fluoridation of the Athlone piped water supply.