Cost of fluoridation: 44 Florida communities

Previous data relating to the cost of fluoridation often do not include annualized costs or costs for labor and maintenance. The purpose of this study was to estimate accurately current costs for initiating and maintaining fluoridation and to develop a methodology that can be used to provide the cost basis for further cost-effectiveness studies. The data were collected from 44 Florida communities that had initiated community water fluoridation between 1981 and 1989. Equipment, installation, and engineering costs were derived from copies of actual invoices for equipment and services and then adjusted to 1988 dollars. The chemical costs were calculated from operational reports listing flow rate and pounds used. The cost was then adjusted according to whether the hydrofluosilicic acid was supplied as 15-gallon carboys, 55-gallon drums, in bulk, or as sodium silicofluoride or sodium fluoride. The initial cost was annualized at 2 percent and 4 percent over 15 years. Calculated operational costs included chemical costs, labor costs, and maintenance and repair costs. The operational costs were then added to the annualized depreciation costs and opportunity costs for the initial investment, to produce an estimated cost per person served. The total mean cost per person for all installations was $1.14 per year at 2 percent and $1.25 per year at 4 percent. The mean cost at 4 percent for communities of fewer than 10,000 was $2.12; for communities between 10,000 and 50,000 it was $0.68; and for communities over 50,000 it was $0.31. The total mean cost per person across all installations was $0.41 at 2 percent and 0.45 at 4 percent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)