Grading of beach water quality released
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Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Casam Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach St Stephen's Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lido Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Kadoorie Beach
Approach Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Pui O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Shek O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
* Discovery Bay Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach Ting Kau Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Deep Water Bay 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, Casam Beach, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Kwun Yam Beach, Lido Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach has 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," the EPD spokesman said.
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, September 30, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
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