6 March 2026
Murrumbidgee Irrigation has identified levels of blue-green algae which currently exceed the livestock guidelines in Wah Wah Main (Barden's Regulator).
There are no algal guidelines for irrigation use. However, water use should be avoided for any livestock purposes. We will continue to monitor the water and notify you of any updates to this alert.
We are committed to monitoring blue-green algae levels in our storages, irrigation channels and drains within our area of operations, in accordance with a contingency strategy developed by the Murrumbidgee Regional Algal Coordinating Committee (RACC) - a body established by the NSW Government. This program provides us with valuable information on algae levels (biovolumes) to assess the potential for and/or to deal with algal blooms.
In the event of a blue-green algae red alert, we publish a notice on our website and also endeavour to contact customers promptly through electronic means or through your division operator. This same process will apply when the red alert is lifted. If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to register your electronic details with us and/or notify us of any recent changes to your details.
We take this opportunity to remind customers that despite our drainage water quality management initiatives, the presence of blue-green algae in water is influenced by external factors and we cannot guarantee the quality of water. It is therefore ultimately the customer’s responsibility to determine the suitability of water for any intended use. Regular updates on blue-green algae levels are provided on our website Water Quality page.
See latest updates
If you have any queries regarding this current blue-green algae red alert in your area, please contact MI’s Water Quality Officer on (02) 6962 0200.
For general information about blue-green algae, the NSW Department of Primary Industries website has published some resources on their website.
Useful information