The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 23) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.
 
     Eighteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:
 

Chung Hom Kok Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Discovery Bay	Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach	South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	St Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:
 

Anglers' Beach	Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Approach Beach	Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach	Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Trio Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach

 
Grade 3 beach is:
 

Ting Kau Beach

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Butterfly Beach and Lower Cheung Sha Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Silverstrand Beach and Cafeteria Old Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2 and Ting Kau Beach to Grade 3 since the last grading. Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Golden Beach and Trio 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," the EPD spokesman said.
 
     "For Silverstrand Beach, Ting Kau Beach and Cafeteria Old Beach, we observed that their temporary deterioration of water quality 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, June 23, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:00

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