| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 24)
released the latest grading of water quality at 33 beaches open
to the public, rating 24 as Good (Grade 1), eight as Fair (Grade
2) and one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
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 |
Chung Hom Kok Beach (S) |
| Pui
O Beach (S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha 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) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Butterfly
Beach (S) |
| Trio Beach
(S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
Old Beach |
| Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Big Wave
Bay Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Grade 4 beach
is Golden Beach (S)
A department spokesman said Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Butterfly
Beach had been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, while Golden Beach
had changed from Grade 2 to Grade 4.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation
of the bacteriological water quality of the beach except Golden
Beach which has a high E. coli count on the last sampling occasion.
The EPD is carrying out investigation to look into the reason for
the deterioration of the water quality," 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.
Ends/Friday, October 24, 2003
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