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Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 16) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 14 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and eight were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
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Middle Bay Beach
South Bay Beach
St. Stephen's Beach
Stanley Main Beach
Tong Fuk Beach
Trio Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach
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Grade 2 beaches are:
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Big Wave Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Castle Peak Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Discovery Bay*
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Golden Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Pui O Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Shek O Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach
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Grade 3 beaches are:
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Anglers' Beach
Approach Beach
Casam Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
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Lido Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Silverstrand Beach
Ting Kau 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, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Upper Cheung Sha Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Cafeteria Old Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Approach Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Big Wave Bay Beach, Golden Beach and Shek O Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2 since their last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (May 14).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Big Wave Bay Beach, Golden Beach and Shek O Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality which was largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples obtained show that the water quality of these beaches has resumed normal. We will continue to monitor these beaches regularly."
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.
Ends/Friday, May 16, 2014
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