Public Notice: Information about your drinking water

  • Published
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Elmendorf AFB Exceeded Fluoride Drinking Water Standards

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did to correct this situation.

The treatment plant at Fort Richardson supplies the water used on Elmendorf Air Force Base. Testing on the morning of 28 April 2010 showed that the level of fluoride exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for fluoride. Fluoride levels ranged from 0.5 parts per million (ppm) to 14.3 ppm. The MCL for fluoride is 4 ppm.

What happened?

Early on the morning of 28 April 2010, the fluoride injection pump malfunctioned in the Fort Richardson water treatment plant. When discovered, the pump was immediately taken out of service, but high levels of fluoride had already entered the water lines. To address this issue, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base issued a "Do Not Drink The Water" notice and began systematically flushing the water lines by opening fire hydrants across the installations. Concurrently, samples were collected throughout the installation at individual residences, eating establishments, Child Development Centers, schools, and work centers. Each area was flushed and sampled until results showed fluoride levels below 2 ppm. Once Elmendorf Air Force Base demonstrated that fluoride levels throughout the installation were below 2 ppm, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation allowed Elmendorf Air Force Base to rescind its "Do Not Drink the Water" notice at 1715 on 29 April 2010.

What should I do?

At this time, fluoride levels meet Environmental Protection Agency requirements on Elmendorf Air Force Base. If you consumed any installation drinking water during this event, you may want to consult your dentist about whether to avoid dental products containing fluoride or if an alternate source of water that is completely free of fluoride should be used.

What does this mean?

Fluoride in small amounts helps prevent tooth decay. However, some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or greater may cause mottling of children's teeth, usually in children less than nine years old. Mottling, also known as dental fluorosis, may include brown staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Although it takes many years of exposure to fluoride for bone disease to develop, mottling can occur after a relatively short period of exposure.

For more information, please contact the Elmendorf Air Force Base Bioenvironmental Engineering office at 907-552-3985.

Please share this information with all people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly.

State Water System ID#: AK2211423.
Date distributed: 29 April 2010