The City of Kalona was recently honored as one of 63 Iowa communities to receive a Water Fluoridation Quality Award. The award is given annually by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Kalona Water Department has been on the receiving end of the award for several years. According to Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh, they received the award because of their daily work to test the city’s water quality, which consistently meets the state’s criteria across the board, as well as the fact they treat the water with a small amount of fluoride to encourage dental health.
The 63 communities that received this award make up approximately 8% of the cities in Iowa, and Schlabaugh said being a part of that select few is something the city takes pride in. He gives a lot of the credit to both the Kalona City Council and the staff of the Water Department for the city’s water quality. He says the council has been proactive in making sure the city has what’s needed to provide clean drinking water, including approving a new water plant and water tower in recent years. He adds, it’s a joint effort of the council willing to put money into the system, and the staff being able to operate it efficiently and use the newest technologies to enhance the process. Fluoridation is not required for public drinking water, but the Iowa Department of Public Health encourages it to aid in the prevention of tooth decay and other dental problems.