The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 21) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.

     Thirty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and three as Fair (Grade 2).

Grade 1 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach	Lido Beach
Approach Beach	Lo So Shing Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach	Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Shek O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	St Stephen's Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Discovery Bay	Ting Kau Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	Trio Beach
Kadoorie Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kwun Yam Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:       

Butterfly Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Golden Beach

     Compared with the grading released last week, Approach Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach and Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.

     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.

     The EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming in Stanley Main Beach and Turtle Cove Beach (Southern District), Cafeteria New Beach and Golden Beach (Tuen Mun District) and Clear Water Bay First Beach (Sai Kung District), which may be affected by suspected red tides found recently, as well as Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (Tsuen Wan District) which may be affected by a suspected oil spill.

     The EPD spokesman also 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.

     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend.  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.

Ends/Friday, April 21, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:48

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