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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 16) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Sixteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Butterfly Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Casam Beach Shek O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* St. Stephen's Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hoi Mei Wan 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, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Clear Water Bay First Beach, Discovery Bay and St. Stephen's 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/Thursday, May 16, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:01
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