Council will now recommence fluoridation into the bulk water supply from September 13 and will continue to regularly report the concentration of fluoride in the Port Macquarie dam to NSW Health.

NSW Health has also acknowledged the timeframes around council's strategic water projects and confirmed they support council's long-term plans for a new water treatment plant at Cowarra Dam.

In 2019, in consultation with NSW Health, council paused fluoride dosing when the severe drought meant it could not draw water from the Hastings River as normal.

A briefing was held with councillors in February 2020 to discuss the pause to fluoride dosing.

Fluoride dosing was removed from the usual control sequence as dam levels dropped in order to maximise available extraction opportunities. The pause on fluoride dosing also coincided with a review of environmental considerations around open water storage dams and the reticulated network.

Since the drought, council has replenished dam levels, but with fluoride dosing still paused for the bulk supply, the level of fluoride in the dams has continued to dilute.

Council recommenced fluoride dosing directly to the Wauchope water supply in April 2021.

Council has worked with NSW Health and the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to look at options to recommence fluoridation for the Hastings' bulk water supply.

NSW Health requires council to report where fluoride levels of 0.9mg/L have been reached and maintained for three months. Because the fluoride levels in the bulk water supply is diluted, council has never reached this reporting target.

The Minister for Health Brad Hazzard in July advised council the state government would provide 100 per cent funding for an upgrade of its dosing plant so the region's fluoridation requirements could be met.

Council and NSW Health will work closely together, along with other government agencies, to ensure the proposed new water treatment plant meets regulatory requirements and represents the best solution for the community, director of infrastructure Dan Bylsma said.

"Council is well underway with the plans and forecast its completion between 2026- 2028," he said.

"We are pleased our fluoridation roadmap has been endorsed by NSW Health. We will continue to work very closely with them in applying for funding for the project via their fluoridation capital works program."

A community poll earmarked for the December council elections that proposed asking Port Macquarie-Hastings residents about the addition of fluoride to the local water supply has been shelved.

Deputy mayor Lisa Intemann, an anti-fluoride advocate for more than 17 years who helped champion the community poll with mayor Peta Pinson, will instead take up Member for Port Macquarie's Leslie Williams' suggestion to take the debate directly to the state government.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: