| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (February 13) released
the latest grading of water quality for the four beaches that are
open year round. Other beaches are closed for the winter season.
Deep Water Bay
Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach were rated Good (Grade 1)
while Golden Beach and Silverstrand Beach were rated Fair (Grade
2).
All the above
beaches are equipped with shark nets.
There was no
change in the grading of the four beaches compared with the previous
week.
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.
A 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,
February 13, 2004
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