In order that the Ordinance of City Council of Philadelphia of December 5, 1951 authorizing "the Director of Public Health, with the cooperation of the Bureau of Water of the Department of Public Works, to introduce fluorine into the City water supply" may be properly complied with; that the conditions of the water works permit issued by the Secretary of Health of the Pennsylvania Department of Health under date of July 22, 1952 pertaining to the fluoridation of the public water supply may be adequately fulfilled; and that the combined efforts of the Department of Public Health and Water Department of the City of Philadelphia may be utilized in the most efficient manner for the best interests of the people of the City in the technical and administrative application and control of fluoride introduction to the public water supply of the City, the following agreements are hereby established:

1. The Water Department is charged with the provision, installation, operation and maintenance of necessary equipment including tanks, pumps, feed lines, measuring devices and chemicals for the introduction of fluoride at sufficient locations in the water supply system to assure adequate distribution of the chemical to all points of the public water distribution system. The Department of Public Health will periodically examine the fluoridation installations at water treatment plants.

2. The Water Department is charged with meeting the requirements of the Pennsylvania Health Department in obtaining necessary permits for future extension of the water supply system in accordance with special condition "A" of the water works permit issued July 22, 1952 by the Secretary of Health of the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

3. The Water Department is charged with the submission of plans, specifications and contract documents of each fluoridation installation to the Bureau of Engineering of the Pennsylvania Department of Health for approval, including the points of application for the fluoride solution such as to provide uniform dispersement of the solution throughout the water supply, and to avoid any interference by other water treatment with the fluoride application, in accordance with special conditions "B" and "I" of the above-noted water works permit. In addition, the above plans, specifications, documents, and points of fluoride application shall be approved by the Department of Public Health.

4. The Water Department is charged with the application of the chemical containing fluoride in such controlled dosage designed to impart to the water as supplied to the public no more than 1.2 ppm, nor less than 1.0 ppm of fluoride at any time in accordance with special condition "C" of the above-noted water works permit, until such time as the Pennsylvania Department of Health shall designate other quantities. Chemical containing fluoride proposed for introduction into the water supply system shall be mutually approved for such application by the Department of Public Health and the Water Department.

   To accomplish the above and to relate the procedure to the City Ordinance previously mentioned, the Department of Public Health has determined, and the Acting Commissioner of Health authorizes, that the amount of fluorine to be added to the city water supply shall be one part of fluorine per one million parts of water, by weight.

5. The Water Department is charged with the maintenance of daily records of the amount of fluoride chemical applied to the public water supply and the recording of fluoride content of raw and finished waters in the operation reports and the submission of those reports to the Pennsylvania Department of Health in accordance with special condition "D" of the above-noted water works permit. Results of tests conducted by the Department of Public Health will be furnished to the Water Department at specified intervals for inclusion in the operation reports.

6. The Water Department is charged with performing necessary tests for fluoride content on such raw waters, filter plant effluents, and locations in the distribution system as deemed necessary to control the fluoride dosage and determine the amount of fluoride in the water supplied to the public. The Department of Public Health is charged with the performance of tests for fluoride content in water at locations throughout the distribution system to serve as an independent check on fluoride control in the water served to the people of the City. The frequency of testing, and locations of tests samples will be determined through the joint approval of both Departments and of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This procedure is designed to fulfill the requirements of special condition "E" of the above-noted water works permit.

7. The Water Department and the Department of Public Health are charged with following the procedures of the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage" in the matter of fluoride determinations in accordance with special condition "F" of the above-noted water works permit, except as modifications of test procedures shall be permitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

8. The Water Department is charged with the exclusion of connections in the fluoride feeding equipment which would permit back siphonage into the drinking water system, with the provision of necessary safety equipment and measures for the protection of operators of fluoride feeding equipment, and with the posting of permanent warning signs cautioning against the danger from chemical compounds containing fluoride in accordance with special conditions "G", "H" and "J" of the above-noted water works permit. The measures taken to comply with those conditions shall be approved by the City Department of Public Health.

9. The Water Department is charged with meeting the requirements of other special and standard conditions not specifically mentioned above but included in the above-noted water works permit.

10. The Department of Public Health is charged with the responsibility of informing the public of the benefits of the introduction of fluoride into the public water supply of the City of Philadelphia in the reduction of dental caries and the deterring of tooth decay.

    The above joint responsibilities and division of responsibilities appear to be a reasonable approach to the administration of fluoridation procedures in the City of Philadelphia with respect to authorized functions of both Departments under the provisions of the City Charter. It is mutually understood and agreed that the officially designated representatives and agencies of both Departments will cooperate in a harmonious manner towards the fulfillment of this agreement. It is further agreed that this memorandum of understanding and joint procedures may be amended in the future in order to make provision for changing conditions.

Date Sept. 22, 1954

SIGNED Mr. Ingraham, M.D. Acting Commissioner of Health

SIGNED Samuel S. Baxter Water Commissioner

THEREFORE, Section 4 of the Memorandum of Understanding of Joint Procedures of Fluoridation of the Public Water Supply of the City of Philadelphia, between the Department of Public Health and Department of Water, dated September 22, 1954, is deleted in its entirety from this memorandum and the following section substituted for it.

(4) The Water Department is charged with the application of chemical containing fluoride in such controlled dosage designed to impart to the water not more than 1.3 ppm nor less than 0.8 ppm of fluoride at any time. Chemical containing fluoride proposed for introduction in the water supply system shall be mutually approved for such application by the Department of Public Health and the Water Department.

To accomplish the above, in accordance with the City Ordinance referred to in the memorandum dated September 22, 1954, and in the standards outlined in the paragraphs preceding this amendment, the Health Commissioner authorizes that the amount of fluoride added to the City water shall be such as to maintain an average of 0.95 ppm fluoride by weight in tap waters.

SIGNED Samuel S. Baxter Water Commissioner

SIGNED Eugene A. Gillis, M.D. Health Commissioner

Last modified: 17 August 2001

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