Press
Release
Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection
Department today (November 26) released the latest grading of water
quality of eight beaches open to the public. Other beaches are closed
for the winter season.
Seven beaches are rated Good (Grade 1) and one is rated Fair (Grade
2)
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Big
Wave Bay Beach |
Deep
Water Bay Beach |
| Middle
Bay Beach |
Repulse
Bay Beach |
| Stanley
Main Beach |
Clear Water
Bay Second Beach |
| Silverstrand
Beach |
|
The Grade 2
beach is Golden Beach.
All the above beaches are equipped with shark nets.
Compared
with the grading released last week, there was no change in the
grading of the eight beaches.
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information
may also be obtained from the department's website 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, November 26, 2004
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