| It gives me great pleasure to
introduce this special edition
of our annual beach water quality
monitoring report. This year's
report is a review of the past
15 years and highlights what has
been achieved in improving beach
water quality over this period
of time.
In recent years we have seen
a continuous improvement in
our beach water quality. Each
year, fewer and fewer beaches
have been rated as having poor
water quality, with the overwhelming
majority of our beaches now
being of an acceptable standard.
This is primarily as a result
of the concerted efforts of
both the Environmental Protection
Department and the Drainage
Services Department in providing
more comprehensive sewerage
and sewage treatment infrastructure
in the vicinity of our beaches
as well as other beach pollution
prevention measures.
Special mention should also
be made about our system of
informing the public about beach
water quality. During the bathing
season we monitor the quality
of the water at our beaches
on a weekly basis and release
the information on the grading
of each beach through the news
media just before the weekend.
We also provide the information
through our telephone hotline
(2511 6666), through our website
(www.info.gov.hk/epd/) and on
special notice boards at all
gazetted beaches throughout
the territory.
We are continuing with our
programmes to improve the situation
even further. I am confident
that with all of our planned
sewerage programmes in place
we will attain good bathing
water quality at all of our
beaches.
(Rob J. S. Law, J. P.)
Director of Environmental Protection
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