Water NSW has issued a red alert for blue-green algae in the Macquarie River between Dubbo and Wellington. The community was alerted to the news on Monday afternoon but Water NSW assured residents that town supplies are safe and meet Australian Drinking Guidelines by undergoing conventional treatment.
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People are warned to avoid physical contact with the water, particularly where algal blooms are obvious.
The algae will resemble a bright-blue scum near the water's surface.
Graziers should also ensure stock is not in contact with water in affected areas, with contact with contaminated water possibly causing gastro and skin irritations.
Water NSW says the alert is no cause for alarm, but a way for people to make informed decisions about how they interact with the waterway.
The cause of the peak in algal blooms is believed to be the warm weather, low-water levels and possibly the inflows from storm events and recent rainfall.
The CSIRO says that blue-green algae are actually types of bacteria known as Cyanobacteria.
They normally look green and sometimes may turn bluish when scums are dying.
Taste and odour problems commonly occur with large concentrations of blue-green algae and some species are capable of producing toxins.
A 'bloom' is the term used to describe an accumulation of algal cells to a point where they discolour the water, form scums, produce unpleasant tastes and odours, affect fish populations and reduce the water quality.
Decomposing algae can also cause depletion of oxygen and induce fish kills.
Species of blue-green algae may dominate and increase excessively in water when nutrient levels, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen are sufficient to support the population growth.
Blooms also occur when the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus concentration is low, water is still and turbulence is low causing a lack of mixing.
Blue-green algal blooms often persist for several weeks, sometimes months, depending mainly on the weather or flow conditions. The CSIRO says that cooler, windy weather or increased flow may reduce or prevent blooms from occurring.
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