A High Court decision allowing Hamilton City Council to reintroduce fluoride to its water supply has been met with relief by the region's district health board.
The High Court on Thursday refused to grant a request to stop the council putting fluoride back into the water supply before a judicial review on the issue can be heard in September.
Safer Water Alternative New Zealand (SWANZ) asked for the interim order, but Justice Kos disagreed with its claim that residents would be harmed by the reintroduction of fluoride between now and the September hearing.
Waikato's medical officer of health Felicity Dumble says common sense has prevailed.
"It's been very frustrating, all the delays and barriers, and the costs associated with these challenges, when we know that community water fluoridation is safe and effective."
The council stopped adding fluoride to the water supply in June last year but decided to bring it back after a referendum in October last year voted in favour of it.
Hamilton City Council intends to resume fluoridation within a week but SWANZ co-ordinator Trevor Crosbie said that could be shortlived as the decision could be overturned at a judicial review.
Hamilton mayor Julie Hardaker said that while she initially voted to remove fluoride, when a referendum on the issue was overwhelmingly supportive of keeping it, she voted to reinstate it.
