Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (April 16) released
the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 25 as Good (Grade 1), seven as Fair (Grade 2) and one as
Poor (Grade 3).
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) |
|
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Discovery
Bay* |
|
Grade 3 beach
is Silverstrand Beach (S).
Cheung Chau
Tung Wan Beach has upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Discovery
Bay has changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
"The changes
are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological
water quality of the beach," a 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 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.
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,
April 16, 2004
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