Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (April
8) released the latest grading of water quality of 32 beaches open
to the public, rating 24 as Good (Grade 1) and eight as Fair (Grade
2).
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. (S) indicates
a beach that is equipped with shark net
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Big Wave
Bay Beach (S) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Pui O Beach
(S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
| Discovery
Bay* |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
| Kwun Yam
Beach (S) |
Trio Beach
(S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
| |
|
| Grade 2
beaches are: |
|
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
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.
Compared with
the grading released last week, Big Wave Bay Beach and Silver Mine
Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation
of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," a spokesman
said.
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.
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, April 8, 2005
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