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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 28) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Sixteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 20 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Shek O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St. Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Repulse Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Hap Mun Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Castle Peak Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Pui O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Approach 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. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's websites on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Shek O Beach and Tong Fuk Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Deep Water Bay Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 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.
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 28, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:01
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