Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (July 22) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 14 as Good (Grade 1), 12 as Fair (Grade 2), six as Poor (Grade 3) and one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
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:
|
Chung Hom Kok Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay First Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S)
Kiu Tsui Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S)
|
Middle Bay Beach (S)
Repulse Bay Beach (S)
South Beach (S)
St. Stephen's Beach (S)
Tong Fuk Beach (S)
Trio Beach (S)
Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S) |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach (S)
Deep Water Bay Beach (S)
Discovery Bay*
Golden Beach (S)
Kwun Yam Beach (S)
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
|
Pui O Beach (S)
Shek O Beach (S)
Silver Mine Bay Beach (S)
Silverstrand Beach (S)
Stanley Main Beach (S)
Turtle Cove Beach (S) |
Grade 3 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach (S)
Butterfly Beach (S)
Cafeteria Old Beach (S)
|
Cafeteria New Beach (S)
Castle Peak Beach (S)
Kadoorie Beach (S)
|
Grade 4 beach is Ma Wan Tung Wan 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, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Middle Bay Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, St. Stephen's Beach, and Kiu Tsui Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Shek O Beach and Golden Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
Pui O Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Cafeteria Old Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach has been changed from Grade 3 to Grade 4.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches except for Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach," a spokesman said.
"The very poor water quality of Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach was due to the previous heavy rain, which flushed pollutants from the beach hinterland into the water," he added.
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 warned 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 22, 2005
|
