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Press Release
Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (August 29) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 10 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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Cafeteria Old Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Discovery Bay*
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
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Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Shek O Beach
Silverstrand Beach
South Bay Beach
St. Stephen's 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
Butterfly Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Castle Peak Beach
Golden Beach
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Kadoorie Beach
Pui O Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach
Tong Fuk 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, Cafeteria Old Beach and Clear Water Bay First 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 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.
Meanwhile, the department has revamped its Beach Water Quality webpage. The enhanced webpage, accessible through the department's website, is more user-friendly. It offers quick and easy viewing of the latest grades of all beaches at a glance.
Ends/Friday, August 29, 2008
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