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Press Release

Grading of beach water quality released

The Environmental Protection Department today (July 25) released the latest grading of water quality at 33 beaches open to the public, rating 20 as Good (Grade 1) and 13 as Fair (Grade 2).

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 Kiu Tsui Beach (S)
Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S) Trio Beach (S)
Tong Fuk Beach (S) Chung Hom Kok Beach (S)
Silver Mine Bay Beach (S) Middle Bay Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S) Repulse Bay Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S) Shek O 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)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S) St. Stephen's Beach (S)

Grade 2 beaches are:

Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S) Big Wave Bay Beach (S)
Silverstrand Beach (S) Deep Water Bay Beach (S)
Butterfly Beach (S) Hairpin Beach (S)
Cafeteria New Beach (S) Pui O Beach (S)
Cafeteria Old Beach Discovery Bay*
Golden Beach (S) Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S)
Kadoorie Beach (S)  

A spokesman for the department said Chung Hom Kok Beach, Shek O Beach and St. Stephen's Beach had been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Kadoorie Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2, while Deep Water Bay Beach 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 25, 2003


 
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