Water Fluoridation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia
PWD
Water Department

The City of Philadelphia Water Department has been adding fluoride to the drinking water since 1954. Hydrofluorisilicic Acid is added to the water to achieve fluoride concentration of 1.0 mg/L. Last Fiscal Year on record (July 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999) PWD used 444.5 tons of Hydrofluorisilicic Acid at a price of $447.28/ton. Our current supplier is Solvay Fluoride. Contact Mark Looney @ (800)325-3332 for further information about the product.

Attached are copies of 1954 documents reflecting the original agreement between the Department of Public Health and the Department of Water and 1951 City Ordinance authorizing the use of fluoride. Also, attached is a fluoride statement issued in 1990.

Zinc Phosphate is applied to the Philadelphia water as a corrosion inhibitor to achieve concentration of 0.7 ppm of phosphate as PO₄ . In FY'99 (July 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999) PWD used 1075.6 tons of ZnPO₄ at a price of $393.47/ton. Our current supplier is Manley-Reagan Chemical Co. Contact Louis Biondo @ (717)944-7471 ext. 373 for further information about the product.

MSDS information for both products is attached.

If you have any additional questions, please contact me @ (215)685-6257.

Sincerely,

Rita Kopansky
San. Engineer, Treatment HQR

Based on the data above, the total costs incurred to the city of Philadelphia in Fiscal Year 1999 were as follows:

	# Tons	Cost/Ton	Total Cost
Fluoride	444.5	$447.28	$198,815.96
Zinc Phosphate	1075.6	$393.47	$423,216.33
			$622,032.29

Last modified: 17 August 2001

http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/philly/