***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 26) released the latest grading of the water quality of 37 beaches.
Thirty-one beaches were rated as good (grade 1) and six were rated as fair (grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Golden Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kadoorie Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lido Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Castle Peak Beach
Butterfly Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Silverstrand 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, Casam Beach, Lido Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from grade 2 to 1. Silverstrand 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.
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.
Ends/Friday, October 26, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01
NNNN
