***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 2) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
*Discovery Bay Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silverstrand Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach St Stephen's Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Stanley Main Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Ting Kau Beach
Golden Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Butterfly 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 has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Castle Peak Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Lower Cheung Sha Beach 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/Friday, October 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:02
NNNN
