| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (May 21) released
the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 21 as Good (Grade 1), 10 as Fair (Grade 2) and two 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:
| 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) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha 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:
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Big Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Discovery
Bay* |
| |
|
Grade 3 beaches are:
| Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
| |
|
Comparing with
the grading released last week, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Shek O Beach
and Silver Mine Bay Beach have upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1
while Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach has changed from Grade 1 to Grade
2 and Silverstrand Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
"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, May 21, 2004
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