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Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) today (June 7) released the latest grading
of 37 beaches to inform the public about the water quality of beaches
in Hong Kong.
"Among the
37 beaches, 18 beaches are found to be in 'Good' condition (Grade
1), 13 beaches are in 'Fair' condition (Grade 2), three are 'Poor'
(Grade 3) and three are 'Very Poor' (Grade 4)," a spokesman for
the EPD said.
"Grade 1" beaches
are
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Cheung
Sha Lower Beach
Cheung Sha Upper Beach (S)
Discovery Bay*
Tong Fuk (S)
Hung Shing Yeh (S)
Lo So Shing (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay (S)
Kiu Tsui (S)
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Chung
Hom Kok (S)
Repulse Bay (S)
Deep Water Bay (S)
Middle Bay (S)
South Bay (S)
St. Stephen's Beach (S)
Stanley Main Beach(S)
Tung Wan, Cheung Chau (S)
Pui O (S)
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"Grade 2" beaches
are
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Clear
Water Bay First Beach (S)
Golden (S)
Butterfly (S)
Big Wave Bay (S)
Silvermine Bay (S)
Hairpin (S)
Trio (S)
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Silverstrand
(S)
Cafeteria New Beach (S)
Cafeteria Old Beach
Turtle Cove (S)
Kwun Yam Wan (S)
Shek O (S)
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"Grade 3" beaches
are
Hoi Mei
Wan
Kadoorie (S)
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Tung Wan,
Ma Wan (S)
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"Grade 4" beaches
are
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Casam
(S)
Gemini
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Lido (S)
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The beach with
an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach while those with (S) have shark
prevention nets installed.
"Comparing
with the grading released last week, Clear Water Bay First Beach,
Hairpin, and Kwun Yam Wan have changed from 'Grade 1' to 'Grade
2'," the spokesman said.
"The changes
are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological
water quality of these beaches," the spokesman said.
"The very poor
water quality of the three Tsuen Wan Beaches is due to heavy rain
which flushed pollutants from the unsewered beach hinterland into
the water," the spokesman said.
"Beach grades
will be released every week before the weekend in order to provide
timely information for the weekend beach-goers.
"The latest
beach grading is also available from the EPD homepage at http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/
or the EPD's beach hotline at 2511 6666," he added.
Under the grading
system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the
level of E. coli in the water.
The beach grading
is calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli
counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
"Grade 4" would
also be given to a beach when its last E. coli reading exceeds a
high figure irrespective of the geometric mean.
The spokesman
said: "At present, three gazetted beaches, namely Anglers', Approach
and Ting Kau are closed to swimmers all year round because of their
poor water quality.
"The public
are advised not to swim at these closed beaches."
In general,
many beaches are likely to be more polluted than the beach grades
suggested during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should
avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or
heavy rainfall.
The public are
also advised to avoid swimming at the "Grade 4" beaches as far as
possible until the water quality there has improved.
End/Friday,
June 7, 2002
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