Healthy Teeth for Kansans
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Request for Proposals - Community Water Fluoridation
A state-wide campaign made possible by
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
WATER FLUORIDATION INITIATIVE
| The goals of this Water Fluoridation Initiative are to educate Kansans about the benefits of community water system fluoridation and to support implementation of fluoridation in communities where governing bodies permit. |
GRANTS TO PROVIDE FLUORIDATION IN KANSAS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
More than 500 public water systems in Kansas serving approximately1.1 million consumers lack the basic oral health protection of fluoridation. Most Kansans--73.9% in an independent survey--support legislation requiring fluoride in all community water systems and 72.9% of respondents in that same survey are willing to pay the small increase in their monthly water bills for this public health protection. [1]
You may be a public decision-maker, dental professional, or concerned citizen living in a community having a municipal water system without fluoridation to reduce the incidence of cavities. You may care about the people of your community without good dental care and understand the unnecessary costs and pain of dental disease even for those with access to dental care. You may also be willing to rely on the large amount of scientific evidence that fluoridation works. If this describes you, the Health Ministry Fund can help you cross that last barrier--money--and make your community a more positive oral health environment with fluoridated water.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THESE GRANTS?
Kansas local governments operating public water systems--cities, counties, and rural water districts--that do not currently fluoridate their water supplies are eligible. The State of Kansas, the United States Government, and for-profit water companies are not eligible beneficiaries. A public water system that had fluoridation at any time since December 31, 1997 is not eligible even if that fluoridation system is not operational now.
WHAT CAN THE MONEY BE USED FOR?
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New fluoridation equipment such as compound feeders, metering pumps, piping, testing equipment, storage tanks, necessary electrical connections, and safety equipment
- Costs of facility changes necessary to accommodate fluoridation [2]
- A one-year supply of the chosen fluoridation chemical
- Engineer consultation to design a new fluoridation system or to review needs of a non-functional system which has not been in service since December 31, 1997. In the absence of unusual circumstances, engineering costs will be limited to 15% of total grant expenses not including chemicals.
- Other miscellaneous costs directly related to implementation of a new fluoridation system of re-start of a fluoridation system which has not been operational since December 31,1997.
Grant funding cannot be used for administrative costs, costs of public referenda, or other indirect costs of the projects. Funding for contingencies should be limited to not more than 5%.
Amounts of up to $1,000 can be authorized for a preliminary estimate by a licensed engineering firm of the costs of fluoridation for a specific system.. The governing body of the water system is required to approve this request. This request can be submitted to the Health Ministry by a letter (no specific form required).
HOW MUCH FUNDING CAN BE AWARDED?
Grants for individual projects are limited to 100% of the reasonable cost of the project. In most cases, a bid that has been developed through a competitive bid process will establish what is a reasonable cost for the project. The reasonableness of costs will be reviewed by the Health Ministry Fund. There are no minimum or maximum grants amounts.
HOW CAN APPLICATION BE MADE?
Eligible municipalities should request an application packet for the Fluoridation Initiative from the Health Ministry Fund office. Each application must contain evidence that the governing body of the applying municipality has approved submission of the application. This decision to apply does not require agreement to accept the grant. That final action of the municipal governing body would occur once the grant award is offered by the Fund.
To learn more about what information we ask for in the grant application, you can view the application forms here.
HOW AND WHEN WILL GRANT DECISIONS BE MADE (APPLICATION DEADLINES)?
Grants can be filed at any time until December 31, 2004. Generally,
decisions are made about submissions within one month of submission.
No reasons for denying awards will be given unless the Health
Ministry Fund determines, in its sole judgment, that additional
information could assist the applicant in making a successful
subsequent request. The Health Ministry Fund may request amendments
to any application, in its sole judgment, either before consideration
by the Committee or at direction of the Committee.
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS WHICH WILL BE IMPOSED ON ALL FLUORIDATION
GRANTS?
-
Municipalities must agree to operate the fluoridation system (new or re-started) for a minimum of five (5) years. Failure to abide by this condition requires return of all grant monies to the Health Ministry Fund.
- Municipalities must file a single grant report showing how the money was spent and explaining any material variances from the proposed grant budget. In addition, there will be a short narrative report requesting information about the implementation of the system.
- Other conditions normally contained in Health Ministry Fund grant forms will be included.
HOW WILL THE COMMITTEE DECIDE WHICH GRANTS WILL BE FUNDED IF REQUESTS
EXCEED AVAILABLE FUNDS?
The Health Ministry Fund reserves the right to reject or limit applications which may qualify although meeting the rules and procedures of this Request for Proposals. This right to reject or limit applications will be exercised primarily to promote the ultimate goal of the Fluoridation Initiative to secure fluoridation protection for the most Kansans within the limits of the funding available. Some criteria which will be used by the Committee in evaluating grants include:
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The level of commitment from the governing board to implement and maintain fluoridation (the board's public actions in support of this application and the plan for maintaining the small on-going costs of fluoridation)
- The cost per water consumer for fluoridation to be achieved (grant funds divided by number of consumers) compared with other applications' similar costs
- The apparent completeness of implementation or re-start plans (professional consultant utilized, thoroughness of plans, etc.)
- Development of training for water system personnel to handle fluoridation (Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment provides training, 785-296-5503) and inclusion of system and personnel safety equipment
- The relative need of the population for fluoridation
- level of natural fluoridation compared with prophylactic levels
- number of low income persons who may lack dental care
- other sources of fluoride protection
- number of school-age children served by your system
- other oral health risk factors unique to the applying system's consumers
- Information about relative need will be specially requested by the Health Ministry Fund if necessary to make a decision about a grant.
IF A GRANT IS APPROVED, WHAT IS THE ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE?
From the date of award notice, a municipality will have two months to take formal governing board action to accept the grant. Once grant documents have been executed, funding of the entire grant award will occur within 20 business days. Municipalities will be expected to complete the project work within six months, although extensions will be granted for good cause. Interest earned on any grant funds will belong to the municipality if maintained in a fund to support the on-going fluoridation system (including a general water system fund).
MORE INFORMATION
If you are interested in considering application for a Fluoridation grant, please contact the Health Ministry Fund office and request the Water Fluoridation Initiative application packet. The Health Ministry Fund can be contacted by phone at 620-662-8586, by mail at P.O. Box 1384, Hutchinson, KS 67504-1384, or by e-mail at healthfund@healthfund.org. The office is open from 8-12 and 1-5, Monday through Friday.
Kansas regulations, KAR 28-15-16, require any public water supply that wants to fluoridate to submit plans to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for approval prior to construction. Upon satisfactory installation, a permit is issued. For more information about design standards and permit procedures, contact: Kansas Department of Health and Environment |
CHANGES IN THE GRANT PROCESS
The Health Ministry Fund may make changes in the grant process and forms from time to time as learnings occur from earlier sets of applications and new information comes from interested parties. These changes will be effective for all applications received after the date of change. The staff of the Fund is pleased to visit with you prior to submission of an application to give you up-to-date information.
Updated March 2004
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
100 East First
P.O. Box 1384
Hutchinson, KS 67504-1384
620-662-8586
E-mail: healthfund@healthfund.org
Web: www.healthfund.org
[1] "Improving the Oral Health of Kansans through Community Water Fluoridation: A Study of Benefits, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors" Kansas Public Health Association 1998
[2] The Kansas Public Health Association has made the following estimates of capital costs of new water fluoridation systems based upon community size:
| Community Size | Estimated Capital Costs |
| 1,000 | $6,000 |
| 5,000 | $9,000 |
| 10,000 | $12,000 |
| 40,000 | $32,000 |
| 300,000 | $203,000 |