The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 19) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.

     Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), fourteen as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:

Casam Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Discovery Bay	Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach	South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach	St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lido Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach	Deep Water Bay Beach
Approach Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Shek O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Ting Kau Beach

Grade 3 beach is:
Castle Peak Beach

     Compared with the grading released last week, Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Big Wave Bay Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach, Shek O Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Castle Peak Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Since their last grading (Grade 4) on May 16, Butterfly Beach and Kadoorie Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2.

     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the EPD spokesman said.

     "For Butterfly Beach and Kadoorie Beach, we observed that the earlier temporary deterioration of water quality (sampled on May 15) was due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beaches has improved."

     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.

     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the geometric mean of the E coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions. Grade 4 is assigned to beaches whose E coli readings show abnormalities that may affect bathers' health. Bathers should avoid swimming at these beaches until their water quality improves.

     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.

Ends/Friday, May 19, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:00

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