The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that 63 Iowa communities (including Atlantic) have been honored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with a Water Fluoridation Quality Award. The number of communities receiving awards is up from 40 last year. Fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride in drinking water to a level that is effective for preventing tooth decay. The award recognizes those communities that achieved excellence in community water fluoridation by maintaining a consistent level of fluoride in drinking water throughout 2015.

Among the area communities that have received the award is:

Atlantic Municipal Utilities; Breda Water Supply; Council Bluffs Water Works; Elk Horn Municipal Water Works; Glenwood Municipal Utilities; Guthrie Center Municipal Water Works; Harlan Municipal Utilities; Logan Water Plant; Minden Water Supply; Monona Municipal Water Department; Onawa Municipal Water Plant; Shelby Water Supply-Plant 1; Shelby Water Supply-Plant 4; Treynor Water Department; West Central Iowa Rural Water Association – Boyer; West Central Iowa Rural Water Association – Nishnabotna; and the Winterset Municipal Water Works.

DPH Water Fluoridation Coordinator Kelsey Feller says “Water fluoridation is one of the best investments that communities can make in maintaining the oral health of their citizens. It is equally as effective in preventing cavities in children and adults. Fluoridation is also highly cost effective; studies continue to show that for every $1 invested by communities in water fluoridation, $38 are saved in dental treatment costs.”

For more information on the water fluoridation in Iowa, visit https://idph.iowa.gov/ohds/oral-health-center/fluoride.