A RED alert for algae has been lifted at Chaffey Dam just in time for the last few weeks of summer, but the news is worse for other water supplies in the region.
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Water NSW confirmed samples taken by the authority at the end of January revealed blue-green algae levels in Chaffey Dam had dropped below the warning threshold.
That means fishing and swimming can be done safely once again, at the closest thing Tamworth has to a beach.
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Water NSW put a red alert - the highest level - on for Chaffey Dam in December last year, and it has remained in place ever since.
The dam remained open to campers, swimmers, fishers and boaters, but the health advice for blue-green algae is to avoid swimming in the water or eating anything caught in the dam due to the risk of developing some sicknesses.
A red alert has been put in place at other water supplies in the region though.
Copeton Dam, near Inverell, has been issued with a high alert after blue-green algae presence increased.
Water NSW announced the alert was in place on Thursday.
The warning suggests people should not do activities where they might come "into direct contact with the water", and said it can also be a threat to livestock and pets.
Boiling the water does not remove the toxins of the algae, the Water NSW warning said.
The authority said it is not possible to predict how long a red alert will stay in place, but regular testing will continue and the alert will be lifted as soon as algae levels drop.
There is also a red alert in place at Pindari Dam and Malpas Dam.