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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 14) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Twenty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 16 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
*Discovery Bay South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Trio Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Approach Beach Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Ting Kau 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, Discovery Bay, Shek O Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Approach Beach from Grade 3 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.
Noting that recent oil spills had affected Repulse Bay Beach and Chung Hom Kok Beach in Southern District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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, August 14, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:03
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