| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (October 10) released
the latest grading of water quality at 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 20 as Good (Grade 1), 12 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:
| Pui
O Beach (S) |
Deep
Water Bay Beach (S) |
| Upper
Cheung Sha Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Kwun Yam
Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Trio Beach
(S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Lower
Cheung Sha Beach |
Big
Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Butterfly
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
Old Beach |
| Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Kiu
Tsui Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| |
|
Grade 3 beach
is Kadoorie Beach (S).
A department spokesman said Chung Hom Kok Beach, Hap Mun Bay Beach
and Trio Beach had been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, while
Clear Water Bay First Beach and Kiu Tsui 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, October 10, 2003
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