| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (June 4) released
the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 20 as Good (Grade 1), nine as Fair (Grade 2) and four 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) |
Big
Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Hung
Shing Yeh Beach (S) |
Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Pui O Beach
(S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
Shek O
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) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
|
| |
|
Grade 3 beaches are:
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
| Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Compared with
the grading released last week, Chung Hom Kok Beach has been upgraded
from Grade 2 to Grade 1 while Middle Bay Beach and Silver Mine Bay
Beach have changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2 and Ma Wan Tung Wan 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, June 4, 2004
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