No fluoride is currently added to water supplies in the Southern Water supply area.

By law, if requested by a strategic health authority to add fluoride to the water supply, then we must do so. 

We cannot take a medical or ethical view on the subject but are very mindful of our customers' views.

We are not health experts - our expertise lies in engineering and water treatment.

We are quite happy to offer health authority experts technical advice on the subject and our role in any proposed scheme is to provide information on the water supply system to the feasibility study that is required. The issue of cost of dosing is one for the strategic health authority.

In February, 2009, after carrying out a public consultation, the South Central Strategic Health Authority decided to add fluoride to water supplies in the Southampton Primary Care Trust area.

We offered technical advice during the process but the decision to add fluoride and its associated costs was one taken by the strategic authority.

In February, 2011, a judicial review challenge against the decision by a Southampton resident was rejected by the High Court. 

We note the outcome of the judicial review and continue to work closely with the strategic authority. We await the conclusion of a continuing legal challenge before any steps are taken towards adding fluoride to supplies.