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Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 25) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Fourteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 23 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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Cafeteria Old Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
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Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach
South Bay Beach
St. Stephen's Beach
Tong Fuk Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach
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Grade 2 beaches are:
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Anglers' Beach
Approach Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Casam Beach
Castle Peak Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Discovery Bay*
Golden Beach
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Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Lido Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Shek O Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach
Stanley Main Beach
Ting Kau Beach
Trio Beach
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Grade 3 beaches are:
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Pui O Beach
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Silverstrand Beach
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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. 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.
Compared with the grading released last week, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, Shek O Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded to Grade 3 since its last grading (Grade 4) this Thursday (April 24).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Silverstrand Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality which was largely due to heavy rain. The latest sample obtained shows that the beach water quality has resumed normal. We will continue to monitor this beach regularly."
Noting that a suspected red tide has recently affected Silver Mine Bay Beach in Islands District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
Under our 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.
Meanwhile, the department has published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2013". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2013 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 25, 2014
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