The EPD's role goes far beyond simply taking samples, analysing the samples in a laboratory, and maintaining detailed statistics about beach water quality. As this information is valuable to a wide range of different interest groups, from scientists and students to hikers and regular swimmers, part of the EPD's responsibility is to communicate the information it collects to the public as widely as possible. In addition, the EPD's data on beach water quality is useful to other Government Departments: for example, when major infrastructure projects are being planned, one important consideration is whether the project will affect the water quality of nearby beaches. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which runs the facilities at gazetted beaches, relies on EPD information for making decisions about opening or closing beaches, and letting the public know when it is not advisable to go swimming.

Over the years since its foundation the EPD has expanded its methods of getting information to the public, especially as new technology has become available. Its first means of dissemination was by fortnightly press releases, the first of which was sent out on Thursday 30 July 1987 in time for weekend publication. Several newspapers carried EPD beach grading information. The press releases have remained a basic feature of the EPD's information services, and since 1997 have been issued weekly instead of fortnightly, and on Fridays instead of Thursdays to provide weekend beach users with the most up-to-date information possible.

[Photo of Beach grading noticeboards today (left) are more attractive than those used in the early days (right)]

Swimmers arriving at beaches and wanting information about beach water quality have been able to get this from beach grading noticeboards, introduced at different times across Hong Kong. Beaches managed by the (then) Regional Councils put up these noticeboards as early as 1988, but swimmers at what were then Urban Council beaches had to wait until 1999. Also in 1999, the EPD introduced its telephone beach water enquiry hotline service. This 24-hour hotline still operates today, at 2511 6666.

The EPD first began publishing comprehensive Annual Reports on its Beach Water Quality Monitoring Programme for the public in 1988, although the early reports were quite technical in nature and perhaps better suited to internal readership. Over time, these Annual Reports have been transformed into user-friendly documents that attract a wide general readership, and in recent years have been produced in electronic formats which are both convenient and environmentally friendly.

The first EPD webpage with information on beach water quality was set up in October 1998, and from April 1999 the webpage was updated daily. Over time, more information has been added to the webpage: for example, water quality trends for individual beaches have been available since 1999, and annual information about Hong Kong's beaches since 2000. The Annual Beach Report was first available for download in pdf format in this year too, and has also been available in CD-ROM format since 2001. Today, the website at http://www.epd.gov.hk is packed full of information, including up-to-date beach gradings and other useful information about all the beaches the EPD monitors, and those heading to the beach can now access this data from their mobile phone or PDA.

[Image of Four easy ways to access EPD's beach water quality information]

[Photo of Changes in annual beach report, from hard copies to e-files (CD ROM and Internet)]