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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 25) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and three were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Shek O Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach South Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Middle Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* Ting Kau Beach
Golden Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak 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, Big Wave Bay Beach and Kwun Yam Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach, Kadoorie Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Pui O Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
"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, July 25, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
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