The Environmental Protection Department
today (November 28) 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 |
Golden
Beach |
Grade
2 beaches are:
| Clear
Water Bay Second Beach |
Silverstrand
Beach |
All
the above beaches are equipped with shark nets.
A department spokesman said the Golden
Beach was upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.
"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 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 28, 2003
