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Press Release
Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (August 1) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Discovery Bay*
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
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Lo So Shing Beach
Stanley Main Beach
Trio Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach
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Grade 2 beaches are:
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Big Wave Bay Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Golden Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
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Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Pui O Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Shek O Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach
Silverstrand Beach
South Bay Beach
St. Stephen's Beach
Tong Fuk Beach
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Grade 3 beaches are:
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Butterfly Beach
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Castle Peak Beach
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The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
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, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Discovery Bay, Kiu Tsui Beach, Lo So Shing Beach, Stanley Main Beach, Trio Beach, Turtle Cove Beach and Upper Cheung Sha Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Cafeteria Old Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Shek O Beach have 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 beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
Under our present 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, Casam Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Lido Beach and Ting Kau Beach -- are closed to swimmers year round because of poor water quality.
People are advised not to swim at the 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, August 1, 2008
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