| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (November 14) released
the latest grading of water quality at 11 beaches on Hong Kong Island
and three beaches in the New Territories.
Twelve beaches were rated Good (Grade 1) and two were rated Fair
(Grade 2).
Other beaches in the New Territories are closed for the winter season.
Grade
1 beaches are:
| Big
Wave Bay Beach |
Shek O Beach |
| Chung
Hom Kok Beach |
South Bay
Beach |
| Deep Water
Bay Beach |
Stanley
Main Beach |
| Hairpin
Beach |
St. Stephen's
Beach |
| Middle
Bay Beach |
Turtle
Cove Beach |
| Repulse
Bay Beach |
Clear Water
Bay Second Beach |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Golden
Beach |
Silverstrand
Beach |
All the above
beaches are equipped with shark nets.
A department spokesman said the grades of all 14 beaches were unchanged
from the previous week.
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, November 14, 2003
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