| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (April 2) released
the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 26 as Good (Grade 1) and seven as Fair (Grade 2).
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. (S) indicates
a beach that is equipped with shark net.
Grade
1 beaches are:
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Big
Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Kwun
Yam Beach (S) |
Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Pui O Beach
(S) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Tong
Fuk Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha 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) |
Trio Beach
(S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Kadoorie Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S)
|
|
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 into 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, April 2, 2004
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