Nundle, Manilla, Barraba and Bendemeer water supply safe

Council water director Bruce Logan said Manilla and Barraba would be supplied by the massive Split Rock Dam.

It's sitting at just 1.9 per cent, however that equates to about 4000 megalitres. Combined, Manilla and Barraba only use between 400 and 600 megalitres a year.

"Manilla gets water from two sources, the unregulated Namoi and the Manilla River downstream of Split Rock Dam," Mr Logan said.

"At the moment we are able to access water in the Namoi, but if it continues to be dry, we will have to go to Split Rock Dam. They release water from Split Rock into the Manilla River and we suck it out in Manilla."

In the worst-case scenario, Barraba could be switched to bore water, with the water from Split Rock supporting Manilla. However, Mr Logan said that would be a long way down the track.

"Given the water that is in Split Rock Dam now, [supplying both towns] is easily achievable," he said.

"Barraba is not on restrictions at the moment, because they receive water from Split Rock Dam, but they receive it direct from a pipeline.

"Based on the amount of water that's in Split Rock Dam, there's no need for Barraba to go on restrictions. As the water levels fall in Split Rock, we will revisit that decision."

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Nundle is on Level 4 water restrictions. Its usual supply, the Peel River above Chaffey Dam, has been dry for months.

"They have been and continue to be supplied from an emergency bore," Mr Logan said.

"That emergency bore is performing very well and we don't envisage any problems with Nundle remaining on Level 4 restrictions."

Bendemeer is usually supplied by the Macdonald River, however, it's currently using an emergency bore that council installed for situations when the river is flowing slowly or running dry.

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"That bore's performing well, so we're not looking at further supply there," Mr Logan said.

Attunga has long run on bore water, and while the water is so hard it's been know to cause damage to appliances, the village's bores "are performing well".

Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal will go to Level 5 water restrictions on Monday, as Chaffey Dam dips towards 20 per cent.