FLOW has returned to one of the region's rivers and water use has reduced, but the council has renewed its call for environmental releases to be paused.
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Recent rainfall on the tablelands has brought the Macdonald River back to life.
The river runs through Bendemeer and into the Namoi.
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But Tamworth Regional Council water director Bruce Logan hosed down any suggestion of restrictions being eased in any communities under his watch.
Despite reports of heavy rainfall around Barraba and Manilla, the change of fortune in the region's rivers is expected to be short-lived.
"Whilst we are seeing some good flows in the Macdonald at the moment, we haven't seen any at Manilla yet," Mr Logan said.
"It is unlikely for water to reach Manilla through the Namoi system, if it does, it certainly won't be a significant amount of water."
The council has begun supplying water to Bendemeer from the Macdonald River and switched off its back-up bore in light of the recent rainfall.
But level 3 restrictions remain in place at Bendemeer, while Manilla and Barraba stay on level 4.
"I suspect the flows will slow considerably very quickly," Mr Logan said.
Elsewhere, Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal were able to reduce water consumption to 17.27 megalitres per day last week.
Mr Logan said it backed up earlier claims about festival having an insignificant effect on the water supply and the considerable drain of the city's evaporative airconditioners.
Mr Logan also responded to questions about recent environmental releases from Chaffey Dam.
"Council has a view we shouldn't be making environmental releases at all at the moment in relation to the Peel," he said.
A Water NSW spokesperson said these pulses occur every four days with the intention of pushing water past the temporary weir to sustain remaining river life.