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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 29) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Thirty-two beaches were rated good (grade 1) and one was rated fair (grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St Stephen's Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beach is:
Kadoorie 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 website0(www.beachwq.gov.hk or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) on Beach Water Quality or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria Old Beach and Castle Peak Beach have been upgraded from grade 2 to 1.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
Under the 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.
Meanwhile, the department has already published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2010". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2010 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 29, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:04
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