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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 3) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Eighteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 19 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Stanley Main Beach
Deep Water 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. 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 or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Silverstrand Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2 since their last grading (Grade 4) last Friday (July 27).
"We observed temporary deterioration of water quality in Silverstrand Beach and Stanley Main Beach largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beaches has returned to normal," an EPD spokesman said.
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Deep Water Bay Beach have changed from Grade 1 to 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the 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, August 3, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01
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