| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The
Environmental Protection Department today (July 18) released the
latest grading of water quality at 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 18 as Good (Grade 1), 14 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor
(Grade 3).
Beaches with an asterisk are non-gazetted beaches. (S) indicates
a beach that is equipped with shark nets.
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Lower
Cheung Sha Beach |
Hap
Mun Bay Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
Trio Beach
(S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Kwun Yam
Beach (S) |
South
Bay Beach (S) |
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Clear
Water Bay First Beach (S) |
Big
Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Golden
Beach (S) |
Pui O Beach
(S) |
| Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
The Grade 3
beach is Kadoorie Beach (S).
A spokesman for the department said Clear Water Bay First Beach,
Deep Water Bay Beach, Middle Bay Beach and Trio Beach had been upgraded
from Grade 2 to Grade 1 while Discovery Bay had changed from Grade
1 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation
of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," the spokesman
said.
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information
may also be obtained from the department's homepage at http://www.epd.gov.hk
or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Under the grading system, beaches are classified in 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 assigned to beaches whose last E. coli reading exceeded
a threshold figure, irrespective of the geometric mean. Swimmers
are advised to avoid these beaches until the water quality improves.
Seven gazetted beaches - Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach, Ting Kau
Beach, Casam Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Lido Beach
- are closed to swimmers year round because of poor water quality.
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, July 18, 2003
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