What is Fluoridation?

What is Fluoridation?

Water World recently posted a timely article discussing all things fluoridation. The team explains that the practice of water fluoridation, which began in 1945 in Grand Rapids, MI, involves adjusting fluoride levels to the CDC-recommended 0.7 mg/L (picture 3 drops in a 55-gallon barrel) to prevent cavities. While it occurs naturally in most groundwater, levels are usually too low for dental benefits without a boost. The numbers make a strong case: fluoridation costs just $0.64 per person annually and yields $38 in dental savings for every dollar spent. But recent developments are stirring the pot; a federal court just ordered the EPA to evaluate potential risks to children's neurodevelopment, even as the American Dental Association maintains the practice is safe and backed by science.

Army Engineers’ Well Cleaning Tech

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a fresh solution for an age-old problem: cleaning biofilm-clogged relief wells that protect levees and dams. Their new Relief Well Sustainment (RWS) DRIPS mobile trailer is revolutionizing maintenance by swapping expensive oxalic acid treatments for a clever salt-to-chlorine conversion system. The mobile unit, which treats about 1,000 gallons per well, has already proven its worth in field tests at Grenada Lake Dam and Mississippi River levees by matching traditional cleaning effectiveness at a fraction of the cost. With tens of thousands of relief wells nationwide currently requiring treatment every 3-5 years at a multi-million dollar price tag, several USACE districts are eyeing this for 2025.

Manta Ray Filter Design

Marine biology meets engineering in a breakthrough filter design from MIT researchers. Taking cues from mobula rays (massive filter-feeding sea creatures) scientists have cracked the code on a more efficient water filtration system. The secret is the vortex– when water moves at the right speed through the ray-inspired filter's grooved plates, it creates tiny whirlpools that trap particles while maintaining strong flow rates. Initially inspired by pandemic-era mask design, the research team discovered that mobula rays naturally adjust their swimming speed to create these particle-catching vortices between their gill plates.

Water System Overhaul

A tiny Arizona town just pulled off a major infrastructure feat, transforming its aging water system from arsenic-laced liability to state-of-the-art success. Bouse (population: tiny) secured $6.6 million in grants and loans to completely rebuild its water infrastructure after failing to meet federal arsenic standards in 2006. The desert community of mostly retirees, serving just 140 customer accounts, converted their water co-op into a water improvement district to qualify for funding. While some residents are adjusting to higher bills, they’re able to finally drink straight from the tap without hauling 5-gallon jugs across town. The project marks a rare complete overhaul of a public water system, with contractor Felix Construction noting it was their first time building one "from source to tap."

What else is happening:

• IAPMO R&T, a North America product certification agency, is now licensed by the US EPA to certify point-of-use RO systems to earn the WaterSense® label

• Aquasana posts an article detailing the top 10 US cities with the hardest water

• A recent survey shows southwest Ohio public water customers have highest water rate hikes in years due to aging supplier systems

• Tampa Bay-based R2J writes about how legionella water management programs prevent outbreaks

• Reddit posts about recent industrial water pre-treatment install, the recently identified mysterious compound ‘chloronitramide anion’, and water filters that remove microplastics