Press
Release
Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection
Department today (October 29) released the latest grading of water
quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 31 as Good (Grade
1) and two as Fair (Grade 2).
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:
| 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) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Pui O Beach
(S) |
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) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Trio Beach(S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Discovery
Bay* |
|
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Compared with
the grading released last week, Big Wave Bay Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach
and Cafeteria New Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade
1.
"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 E. coli 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.
People are 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, October 29, 2004
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