Grading of beach water quality released

 

Press Release

Grading of beach water quality released  

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 30) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 beaches.

Twenty-seven beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), nine were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are
:

Big Wave Bay Beach
Casam Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Discovery Bay*
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lido Beach
Lo So Shing Beach

Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Shek O Beach
Silverstrand Beach
South Bay Beach
St. Stephen's Beach
Stanley Main Beach
Tong Fuk Beach
Trio Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Approach Beach
Butterfly Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Castle Peak Beach

Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Golden Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Pui O Beach

Grade 3 beach is:

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, Casam Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Clear Water Bay Second Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to 2.

Silver Mine Bay Beach was upgraded to Grade 3 from its last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (June 29).

"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.

Noting that a recent oil spill had affected Lo So Shing Beach in Islands District, the spokesman reminded the public to check the latest updates from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.

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.

People are advised not to swim at the closed beaches.

The EPD 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, June 30, 2011

   
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