Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By CHARITY SMITH
Wakefield – The City of Wakefield received an award for its water fluoridation quality from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The city has received the award annually since at least 2015, according to Dave Semenak, who runs the city’s water department.
“There’s a really good balanced system because the guys here they keep it balanced to between .60 and .80,” said Semenak. “They just are really diligent. They check daily. Just like the chlorine levels at the pumphouse. So if there is any deviation the guys in the water really get on it practically immediately.”
This year, the award was given to 89 communities across the state, 12 of which are in the U.P., and a total of 1,292 water systems in 28 states that maintained a consistent level of optimally fluoridated water in 2020. Fluoridation is the process of adding fluoride to water in order to get it to a level that is optimal to help prevent tooth decay.
“It’s called fluoridic acid and it breaks down certain minerals in the water that cause tooth decay,” said Semenak. It is not a complete defense for that, but it’s just part of that system.”
The CDC has recognized fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC recommends water fluoridation as a safe, effective and inexpensive method of preventing tooth decay. Communities have saved between $1.10 to $135 for every dollar invested according to the CDC.
“It’s mostly based around the consistency of getting the balance or getting the input balance. You don’t want to saturate your system with fluoride. Anytime you get around the 1.0 or above, it starts to build up, it’s not used up, so there’s a free value that ends up being carried on to the user,” said Semenak. “If you use just enough it helps with keeping your teeth white and of course the usual fighting cavities. … If you get below or above then it starts to have a negative effect.”
According to Semenak the men in the Wakefield water department are so committed to maintaining the levels that they check them before their work day begins. He said they all live in the community and know the importance of maintaining good levels of fluoride for the health of all residents.
“If you met my crew, you’d understand why good things happen and if bad things happen it’s fixed. They’re really diligent. ... If you watch the habits of (the water crew) they are just really conscientious and they work hard to get things right,” said Semenak. “I don’t think they shoot for the award so much as they shoot for a daily balance in the system, because they live in this town and they have families in this town. … I know that MDEQ (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) appreciates that due diligence,”
He said the MDEQ monitors all the department’s paperwork, levels, reports and through their own inspections of the system. According to Semenak, the MDEQ just completed an inspection of the city’s water system two months ago.
According to Semenak fluoride is an option that the MDEQ suggests, but it is not mandated that water departments use it. However, if a community decides to use it, the community is monitored as to how it is used.
“Michigan consistently exceeds the healthy people 2030 target of 77.1% of the population on a fluoridated public water supply,” said Dr. Alexis Travis, MDHHS Public Health Administration.
“These awards from the CDC recognize Michigan’s commitment to community water fluoridation, which is the most cost effective and efficient way of preventing tooth decay throughout one’s lifetime and benefits all residents.”
Other U.P. water systems to receive the award include Baraga, Escanaba Water Department, Gladstone Water Department, K I Sawyer, Manistique, Menominee Water Department, Munising, Negaunee-Ishpeming Authority, Norway, Sault Ste. Marie, and St. Ignace.
