| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) today (March 28) released the latest
grading of water quality at 14 beaches now open to the public, rating
11 as "Good" (Grade 1) and three as "Fair" (Grade 2).
'Grade 1' beaches are:
| Deep
Water Bay Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Middle
Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| South Bay
Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
Big Wave
Bay Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
|
'Grade 2' beaches
are:
| Chung
Hom Kok Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
|
"Compared with
the grading released last week, Chung Hom Kok Beach has changed
from 'Grade 1' to 'Grade 2', a spokesman for the EPD said.
"The change is within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological
water quality of the beach."
The bathing season of other beaches in the New Territories will
begin on April 1. The latest grading of these beaches are:
"Grade 1" for
| Lower
Cheung Sha Beach |
Clear
Water Bay First Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay * |
| Pui O Beach
(S) |
Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
| Kwun Yam
Beach (S) |
Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Trio Beach
(S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
|
"Grade 2" for
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
Old Beach |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Butterfly
Beach (S) |
| Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
|
The "Grade 3"
(Poor) beach is Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S)
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach while those with
(S) are equipped with shark nets.
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information
may also be obtained from the EPD homepage at http://www.epd.gov.hk
or the EPD's beach hotline at 2511 6666.
Under the grading system, beaches are classified into four grades
according to the level of E. coli in the water.
Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the
E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
"Grade 4" is also assigned to beaches whose last E. coli reading
exceeds a threshold figure, irrespective of the geometric mean.
Swimmers are advised to avoid these beaches until the water quality
improves.
Three gazetted beaches - Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach and Ting
Kau Beach - are currently closed to swimmers year round because
of poor water quality.
The EPD spokesman said Casam Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan
Beach and Lido Beach would also be closed to the public for the
same reason after the bathing season of other beaches in the New
Territories started on April 1.
However, the sand areas of the four beaches will still be open and
ancillary services such as toilets, changing facilities and barbecue
pits will be provided.
The public is advised not to swim at these closed beaches.
The spokesman cautioned that many beaches were likely to be more
polluted than their 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.
End/Friday,
March 28, 2003
|
