| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (April 30) released
the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 18 as Good (Grade 1), 14 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 a shark net.
Grade
1 beaches are:
| 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) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
Trio Beach
(S) |
| |
|
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Big
Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Kwun Yam
Beach (S) |
Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 3 beach
is Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S).
Silverstrand Beach has upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2 and Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach from Grade 4 to Grade 3, while Big Wave Bay Beach,
Shek O Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Cheung Chau Tung Wan
Beach, Kwun Yam Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach have 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 30, 2004
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