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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 21) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Sixteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 20 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St. Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Approach 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, Middle Bay Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Pui O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Tong Fuk Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Approach 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.
Noting that a red tide has recently affected Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest updates 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, June 21, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:01
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