Fluoride, Water Filtration & Our Partnership with Ionza
Your Questions Answered
A follow-up to our recent August 2026 E-Newsletter segment about why Viola Organics has partnered with Ionza to offer water filtration to our community.
I had a few questions come through after that piece, so I wanted to put together some straight answers. Plus an Article written back in 2019 called What’s More Important than Dental Health
Why can’t councils just decide not to fluoridate their water?
Under the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021, the Director-General of Health can direct local authorities to fluoridate their water supplies. It’s actually a criminal offence for a council to fail to comply with a fluoridation direction — so councils genuinely don’t have the power to simply opt out, even when their own communities push back.
Has this actually played out anywhere?
Yes. One council passed a resolution not to add fluoride as directed by the Ministry of Health — and the Director-General confirmed the direction was a mandatory legal obligation regardless. So even active council resistance hasn’t stopped fluoridation going ahead in that case.
How many New Zealanders currently drink fluoridated water?
Currently around half of New Zealanders have access to fluoridated water. Once all directed supplies are online, that figure is expected to rise to around 60%.
Isn’t the New Zealand situation different to the US court case you mentioned?
Yes, and this is worth being clear on. The US court case is about the EPA’s own regulatory risk finding for fluoride, under US law. New Zealand’s fluoridation levels and legal framework are separate — the Ministry of Health maintains its own position that fluoridation is safe and effective.
What connects the two stories isn’t a shared ruling — it’s a shared theme. Decisions about what’s in your water are being made well above the household level, and the process for revisiting those decisions is slow, whichever country you’re in.
So is this about opting out of your council’s decision?
No. A home filtration system doesn’t change what your council does, and it isn’t a legal workaround for anything. It’s simply about what happens after the water reaches your own tap. That’s a choice that sits within your control, regardless of how the wider fluoridation process plays out.
What does the Viola Organics partnership with Ionza actually offer?
Ionza is a New Zealand water filtration company. As a Viola Organics customer, you can get 10% off their filtration systems with the code VIOLA10, available now on our website.
Where can I see the filtration options?
You’ll find a small select Ionza range listed in the Health & Household + Water Filtration category on Viola Organics Homepage — have a look through and reach out to IONZA if you have any further questions about the system that is right for you.
With care, Janine Matchitt Managing Director, Viola Organics Ltd
