Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection
Department today (July 16) released the latest grading of water
quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 26 as Good (Grade
1), six 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:
| 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 |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First 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) |
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Golden
Beach (S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
Old Beach |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 3 beach is Ma
Wan Tung Wan Beach (S).
Compared with the grading released last week, Cheung Chau Tung Wan
Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to
Grade 1 and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 4 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, July 16, 2004
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