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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 5) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.
Thirty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), five as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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Anglers' Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Casam Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Discovery Bay
Golden Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
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Lido Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Pui O Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Shek O 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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Approach Beach
Butterfly Beach
Castle Peak Beach
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Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Ting Kau Beach
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Grade 4 beach is:
Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria New Beach, Casam Beach and Golden Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Deep Water Bay Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 4.
“The very poor water quality of Deep Water Bay Beach was largely due to the heavy rainfall on 4 May 2017,” the EPD spokesman said. He 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. People are also advised not to swim at the closed beaches.
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.
Ends/Friday, May 5, 2017
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