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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 7) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Twenty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 15 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lido Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Golden Beach
Butterfly Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Stanley Main Beach
Discovery Bay*
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 or 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 Big Wave Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Pui O Beach and Discovery Bay have 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 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, September 7, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01
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