Current through September 16, 2024
1. On or before March 1, 2000, all water
delivered for human consumption in a county whose population is 400,000 or more
by a:
(a) Public water system that serves a
population of 100,000 or more; or
(b) Water authority,
must be fluoridated.
2. In a county whose population is less than
400,000, all requests that fluoride be added to the water supply for the
reduction of the incidence of dental caries must be referred to the health
authority, who shall send the request to the board of health for consideration.
In addition to any approval required pursuant to
NRS
445A.025 to
445A.050, inclusive,
the following must agree to a request to add fluoride to the water supply:
(a) The public water system;
(b) The county board of health;
(c) The State Board of Health;
(d) The local dental and medical society, or
if there is none, the state dental and medical society; and
(e) The local governing authority.
If such approval is granted, the fluoridation of the water
must be provided in accordance with the provisions of this section.
3. The State Board of
Health will exempt a public water system or water authority from the
requirement of fluoridation of the groundwater in its wells if the public water
system or water authority submits documentation to the State Board of Health
that demonstrates that its system for the production of groundwater:
(a) Produces less than 15 percent of the
total average annual water production of the public water system or water
authority for the years in which drought conditions are not prevalent;
and
(b) Is part of a combined
regional and local system for the distribution of water that is served by a
fluoridated source.
4. A
public water system or water authority that is required to fluoridate all water
delivered for human consumption pursuant to subsection 1 shall:
(a) Cease fluoridation of that water during
an emergency related to fluoridation of the water;
(b) Submit to the Division of Public and
Behavioral Health within 30 days after the emergency occurs, a written notice
describing the emergency and the length of time during which the public water
system or water authority ceased fluoridation of the water; and
(c) Resume fluoridation of the water when the
emergency no longer exists.
5. A public water system or water authority
that is required to fluoridate all water delivered for human consumption
pursuant to subsection 1 may cease fluoridation of that water during a period
of routine maintenance if the public water system or water authority:
(a) Submits to the Division of Public and
Behavioral Health within 30 days before the period of routine maintenance, a
written notice describing the maintenance and the length of time during which
the public water system or water authority will cease fluoridation of the
water; and
(b) Resumes fluoridation
of the water when the maintenance is completed.
6. In addition to meeting the standards set
forth in NAC 445A.450 to 445A.492, inclusive, a public water system or water
authority shall maintain in all water it delivers for human consumption:
(a) A minimum concentration of fluoride that
is not less than 0.7 ppm; and
(b) A
maximum concentration of fluoride that does not exceed 1.2 ppm.
7. The introduction of a chemical
for fluoridation into the facilities of a public water system or water
authority must be made:
(a) Through accurate
feeding equipment; and
(b) In
accordance with Water Fluoridation: A Manual for Engineers and
Technicians.
8.
The feeding equipment must be maintained in accordance with Water
Fluoridation: A Manual for Engineers and Technicians.
9. The feeding equipment must be controlled
in such a manner that fluoride is added to the facilities of the public water
system or water authority only when those facilities and the related equipment
for supplying water are functioning properly. Electrical power to the feeding
equipment must be wired in conjunction with the pumping or flow control
equipment of the public water system or water authority in such a manner that
fluoride cannot be introduced into the supply of water when the water is not
flowing. Pumps for feeding chemicals must be equipped with flow detectors which
ensure that the injection of chemicals stops when the well or booster pumps
stop.
10. Either gravimetric or
volumetric dry-feed equipment or positive displacement liquid-feed equipment
with an accuracy within 5 percent is required. When liquid-feed equipment is
used, at least two solution tanks must be available for the preparation and
storage of the fluoride solution.
11. A person who handles chemicals that are
added to the water in the fluoridation process shall comply with the
requirements relating to protective equipment set forth in section 5.3.4 of the
Recommended Standards for Water Works.
12. Each public water system and water
authority shall:
(a) Maintain a kit which is
approved by the health authority for testing the concentration of fluoride in
water.
(b) Adjust the concentration
of fluoride if the natural concentration of fluoride in the water delivered for
human consumption by the public water system or water authority is not within
the permissible concentrations of fluoride set forth in subsection 6.
(c) Take samples from one or more points in
the distribution system that are approved by the health authority.
(d) Test or monitor the concentration of
fluoride daily after its introduction into the facilities of the public water
system or water authority and maintain accurate records of the results of that
testing or monitoring.
(e) Report
the results of the daily testing or monitoring to the health authority at least
monthly and in accordance with any written instructions prescribed by the
health authority.
(f) Not less than
once a week, have a properly certified laboratory verify the results of the
testing or monitoring for at least 1 day using the methods approved in the
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater.
The health authority may take samples from points in the distribution system
approved by it pursuant to paragraph (c) to test the samples for control
purposes.
(g) Follow any written
instructions of the health authority for the sampling of water to which
fluoride has been added.
(h) Keep a
record or copy of the results of the daily testing or monitoring on the
premises of its facility or at a convenient location near the premises for the
period specified in
40 C.F.R. §
141.33. The record or copy must be available
for inspection by the health authority upon request.
(i) In the fluoridation of water, only use
fluoride that meets the requirements set forth in standards B701-94, B702-94
and B703-94 of the American Water Works Association
Standards.
(j) Notify the
Division of Public and Behavioral Health as soon as possible, but not later
than the end of the next business day, if:
(1) The concentration of fluoride in the
water that is delivered for human consumption does not meet the levels of
concentration required by subsection 6; or
(2) Any other event occurs that may affect
the ability of the public water system or water authority to produce safe,
potable water.
(k)
Comply with the provisions of:
(1) This
section;
(2) The
Recommended Standards for Water Works;
(3) The Standard Methods for the
Examination of Water and Wastewater;
(4)
Water
Fluoridation:
A Manual for Engineers and
Technicians; and
(5)
Standards B701-94, B702-94 and B703-94 of the
American Water Works
Association Standards.
If there is a conflict between any of the provisions
described in this paragraph, the most stringent of those provisions
prevails.
13. As used in this section:
(a) "Health authority" has the meaning
ascribed to it in NAC 445A.66055, except that with regard to a county whose
population is 400,000 or more, "health authority" means the officers and agents
of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health.
(b) "Water authority" has the meaning
ascribed to it in
NRS
377B.040.
Bd. of Health, Water
Supply Reg. § 10, eff. 1-8-52-NAC A 2-20-97; R118-99,
2-10-2000
NRS
439.200,
445A.055,
445A.860
