Sunset City residents asked to flush their water due to over-fluoridation

SUNSET, Utah — Sunset officials warn residents to run their water for several minutes before use due to chemical imbalance.

Officials with the Department of Environmental Quality said the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District – Central uncovered an equipment malfunction with the fluoride feed station, which injects fluoride into Sunset City water, on Wednesday at approximately 10 a.m.

“This malfunction caused an overfeed of the fluoride chemical in water delivered to the city. It has been determined the malfunction began the day prior,” reads the statement from DEQ.

After being notified, samples were collected in Sunset, and it was confirmed that some drinking water was over-contaminated with fluoride.

“Of the eight initial samples taken, three samples exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fluoride maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 4 mg/L,” according to the DEQ statement.

After flushing the system, most samples showed fluoride levels have returned to “acceptable levels.”

Because of this, DEQ is asking residents in Sunset to:

• Flush (run) every cold and hot water tap used for drinking water or bathing for 3-5 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.

According to the DEQ, small amounts of fluoride are healthy for preventing tooth decay, but large amounts “after many years” could cause bone disease.

They also ask you are experiencing any health effects, contact your health care provider.