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Press Release
Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (October 30) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches. Twenty-eight beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and five were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Among them, eight beaches will continue to be opened for swimming in November. Seven of them were rated as Good (Grade 1) and one was rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Golden Beach
Middle Bay Beach |
Repulse Bay Beach
Silverstrand Beach
Stanley Main Beach
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Grade 2 beach is:
The other 25 beaches will be closed to swimmers from November 1 for the winter season. Twenty-one beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and four were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cafeteria New Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Castle Peak Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Discovery Bay*
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Kwun Yam Beach |
Lo So Shing Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Pui O Beach
Shek O Beach
South Bay Beach
St. Stephen's Beach
Tong Fuk Beach
Trio Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach |
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach |
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. Latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's website on Beach Water Quality or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria Old Beach, Chung Hom Kok Beach and Golden Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Butterfly Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to 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, 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 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, October 30, 2009
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