Grading of beach water quality released

 

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 19) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.

Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), fourteen as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).

 

Grade 1 beaches are: 

Casam Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Discovery Bay
Golden Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lido Beach
Lo So Shing Beach

Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Pui O Beach
Repulse Bay Beach
Silverstrand Beach
South Bay Beach
St Stephen's Beach
Tong Fuk Beach
Trio Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 

Grade 2 beaches are: 

Anglers' Beach
Approach Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach
Cafeteria New Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach

Deep Water Bay Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Shek O Beach
Stanley Main Beach
Ting Kau Beach

 

Grade 3 beach is: 

Castle Peak Beach

 

Compared with the grading released last week, Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Big Wave Bay Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach, Shek O Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Castle Peak Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Since their last grading (Grade 4) on May 16, Butterfly Beach and Kadoorie Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2.

“The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” the EPD spokesman said.

“For Butterfly Beach and Kadoorie Beach, we observed that the earlier temporary deterioration of water quality (sampled on May 15) was due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beaches has improved.”

The EPD spokesman 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 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 E coli readings show abnormalities that may affect bathers' health. Bathers should avoid swimming at these beaches until their water quality improves.

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 19, 2017 

 

 

 

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