Grading of beach water quality released
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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 4) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 14 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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Big Wave Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
*Discovery Bay
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Pui O Beach
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Repulse Bay Beach
Shek O Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach
Silverstrand 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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Anglers' Beach
Approach Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Casam Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
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Deep Water Bay Beach
Golden Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Lido Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Ting Kau Beach
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Grade 3 beaches are:
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Butterfly Beach
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Castle Peak 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, Big Wave Bay Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach and Lo So Shing Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Castle Peak Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
“The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
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, September 4, 2015
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