The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announces that 105 communities were recently recognized and granted the 2017 Water Fluoridation awards from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This 105 represents an increase of 110 percent from awards presented in 2016. In addition, the community of Storm Lake and the University of Iowa received the 50 Year Award for maintaining continuous community water fluoridation from 1967-2017. Local towns receiving awards include: Audubon, Carroll, Denison, Glidden, Guthrie Center, Harlan, Ida Grove, Jefferson, Manilla, Manning, Schaller and Scranton. The West Central Rural Water Association was also among those recognized. Community water fluoridation is labeled by the CDC as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th Century, preventing approximately 25 percent of tooth decay in children and adults.
