Central Otago District Council does not add fluoride to any of its drinking water supplies. None of the CODC-managed water schemes are fluoridated, and fluoride is not used as part of the water treatment process.
Under the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021, decisions about whether fluoride is added to drinking water are made by the Director‑General of Health at the Ministry of Health, not by councils. Councils must comply with a formal direction if one is issued, but CODC has not received any direction to fluoridate any water supplies to date.
Taumata Arowai is New Zealand’s national water services regulator. Its role is to oversee drinking water safety, quality assurance, and compliance with drinking water standards, including maintaining records of which supplies are fluoridated. Taumata Arowai does not make decisions about fluoridation policy and does not instruct councils to add fluoride.
Any future change would only occur following a Ministry of Health direction and would involve formal planning, implementation, and public communication.
Further information can be found here:
Implementation of community water fluoridation | Ministry of Health NZ