Q. What was the cause of the April 25 DO NOT DRINK WATER alert?
A. Elevated fluoride levels were detected in the water coming from Richardson Nano Groundwater Treatment Plant in northern New Hanover County. CFPUA crews were able to flush the system and quickly reduced fluoride levels to acceptable ones.
Q. How do I know if I was under the DO NOT DRINK WATER alert?
A. If you want to know if you are in the affected service area, please go to https://www.cfpua.org/641/Your-Water-Service-Area and click the link "Your Water Source GIS Portal." Click the "agree to terms," then "okay." Using the address field in the top left corner, enter your address. If you are in the blue area, your water is not on this alert. If you are in the northern part of the county and are green, then you need to follow the issued alert.
Q. How many people were under the alert?
A. 29,500 people are living in this area and around 11,000 connections to the CFPUA system.
Q. What is the normal plant dosing levels?
A. 0.7 milligrams per liter target range.
Q. At what level does Fluoride become a concern?
A. We exceed water quality standards when levels are above 2 milligrams per liter.
Q. What are the concerns associated with high levels of fluoride?
A. According to New Hanover County’s Health Department:
Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities (also called tooth decay) by about 25% in children and adults. By preventing cavities, community water fluoridation has been shown to save money for families and for the US health care system. (Source: CDC)
Drinking water is not the only source of fluoride in most people’s environments. Other sources include fluoride toothpaste, mouth rinses, and of course fluoride applied by Dentists. Fluoride can also be naturally occurring.
Sources in the home such as fluoride toothpaste and mouth rinses should be kept out of the reach of young children who may, because of its sweet taste, ingest such products.
Several general signs and symptoms of too much fluoride include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and paresthesia (abnormal sensation of tingling, numbness, or burning).
New Hanover County's Health Department also shared the following resources:
Q. Was the water safe for hand washing and bathing while the alert was in effect?
A. Yes.
Q. Am I affected by the Precautionary Boil water advisory?
A. Please see the Precautionary Boil Water Advisory on our website for information about who is affected and additional directions.
Q. How many people are under the Precautionary Boil Water Advisory?
A. Approximately 6,000 people are under the Precautionary Boil Water Advisory associated with the alert.
CFPUA will continue to update the public as we get information. If you have questions, please contact us online at https://www.cfpua.org/FormCenter/Customer-Service-10/Customer-Service-77 or via phone at 910-332-6550.