Fluoridation of water supplies at request of health authorities

(1) The Ministry of Health may, in writing apply to a licensee for the water supplied within an area specified in the application to be fluoridated and the licensee shall effect such fluoridation by the addition of one or more of the following compounds of fluorine, that is to say– (a) hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6); or (b) disodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6). (2) An application under sub-section (1), shall remain in force until the Ministry of Health after giving reasonable notice to the licensee, withdraws it. (3) The area specified in an application under this section may be the whole, or any part of a district as specified in the (4) The Ministry of Health shall, in pursuance of an application under this section, ensure that those arrangements include provisions designed to secure that the concentration of fluoride in the water supplied to consumers in the area in question is, so far as reasonably practicable, maintained at one milligram per litre. (5) Water to which fluoride has been added by a licensee in exercise of the power conferred by this section (with a view to 68 its supply in any area) may be supplied by that or any other licensee to consumers in any other area if the licensee or licensees concerned consider that it is necessary to do so– (a) for the purpose of dealing with any serious deficiency in supply; or (b) in connection with the carrying out of any works, including cleaning and maintenance, by the concerned licensee or, as the case may be, by any of the licensees concerned. (6) In this section, “serious deficiency in supply” means any existing or threatened serious deficiency in the supply of water, whether in quantity or quality, caused by an exceptional lack of rain or by any accident or unforeseen circumstances.