Sunset residents warned of excessive fluoride in water due to system malfunction

File photo of tap water. Source: USEPA Environmental Protection Agency

SUNSET, Utah, Sept. 14, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — City and state health officials are warning Sunset residents to take precautions after a malfunction in the city water system injected excessive fluoride.

Wednesday morning Weber Basin Water Conservancy District officials “discovered an equipment malfunction at the fluoride feed station that injects fluoride into the main pipeline that serves water to Sunset City” says a city news release.

“This malfunction caused an overfeed of the fluoride chemical in water delivered to the city. It has been determined the malfunction began on the morning of September 13.”

The Utah Division of Drinking Water recommends households and businesses take the following actions:

  • Flush (run) every cold and hot water tap used for drinking water or bathing for 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Empty any water in appliance service lines.
  • Discard any ice in refrigerators and water used for pets.
  • After flushing, please report any objectionable taste, odors, or discoloration in the drinking water to the
    city.
  • If you are experiencing any health effects, contact your healthcare provider.

“Sunset City will continue to check the fluoride levels and provide data results to the public. Visit sunset-ut.com for the most recent sampling results,” the city said.

For more information, residents may contact Jason D Monroe at 801 979-8913 or [email protected].

“Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly,” the statement says.

The city stressed in its news release that the serious consequence of excessive fluoride exposure is bone disease, but only after a period of years.

In the shorter term, the release said, the exposure may cause mottling of children’s teeth, usually in those younger than 9 years old.

“Mottling, also known as dental fluorosis, may include brown staining
and/or pitting of the permanent teeth,” it says. “This problem occurs only in developing teeth before they erupt from the gums.”

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