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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 21) released the latest grading of water quality at 37 beaches.
Twenty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and twelve were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* Silverstrand 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
Lido Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Butterfly Beach Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Kadoorie Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Stanley Main 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 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, Discovery Bay, Middle Bay Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Clear Water Bay Second Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
Noting that a recent oil spill had affected Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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, September 21, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:31
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