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Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) today (August 10) released the
latest grading of beaches to inform the public about the water
quality of beaches in Hong Kong.
"Among
the 37 beaches, 12 beaches are found to be in 'Good' condition
(Grade 1), 16 are 'Fair' (Grade 2), and nine are 'Poor' (Grade
3)," a spokesman for the EPD said.
"Grade
1" beaches are:
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Hairpin
(S)
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Hap
Mun Bay (S)
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Middle
Bay (S)
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Kiu
Tsui (S)
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Repulse
Bay (S)
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Lo
So Shing (S)
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South
Bay (S)
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Kwun
Yam Wan (S)
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Tung
Wan, Cheung Chau (S)
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Stanley
Main Beach (S)
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St.
Stephen's Beach (S)
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Cheung
Sha Upper (S)
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"Grade
2" beaches are:
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Chung
Hom Kok (S)
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Cheung
Sha Lower
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Deep
Water Bay (S)
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Pui
O (S)
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Shek
O (S)
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Tong
Fuk (S)
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Turtle
Cove (S)
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Silvermine
Bay (S)
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Clear
Water Bay First Beach (S)
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Hung
Shing Yeh (S)
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Clear
Water Bay Second Beach (S)
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Discovery
Bay*
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Trio
(S)
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Tung
Wan (Ma Wan) (S)
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Butterfly
(S)
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Golden
Beach (S)
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"Grade
3" beaches are:
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Big
Wave Bay (S)
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Silverstrand
(S)
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Casam
(S)
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Cafeteria
New (S)
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Gemini
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Cafeteria
Old
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Hoi
Mei Wan
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Kadoorie
(S)
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Lido
(S)
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The beach
with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach while those with
(S) have shark prevention nets installed.
"Comparing
with the grading released last week, Repulse Bay and Cheung
Sha Upper have upgraded from 'Grade 2' to 'Grade 1'; Golden
Beach from 'Grade 3' to 'Grade 2'; Cafeteria New and Cafeteria
Old from 'Grade 4' to 'Grade 3'. Big Wave Bay has changed
from 'Grade 2' to 'Grade 3'.
"The changes
are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the
bacteriological water quality of these beaches," the spokesman
said.
"During
the bathing season, beach grades will be released every week
before the weekend in order to provide timely information
for the weekend beach-goers.
"The latest
beach grading is also available from the EPD homepage at http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/
or the EPD's beach hotline at 2511 6666," he added.
Under
the grading system, beaches are classified into four grades
according to the level of E. coli in the water.
The beach
grading is calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of
the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
"Grade
4" would also be given to a beach when its last E. coli reading
exceeds a high figure irrespective of the geometric mean.
The spokesman
said: "At present, five gazetted beaches, namely Anglers',
Approach, Ting Kau, Castle Peak and Rocky Bay, are closed
to swimmers for the whole bathing season because of their
poor water quality or lack of beach facilities. The public
are advised not to swim at those closed beaches.
In general,
many beaches are likely to be more polluted than the beach
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.
The public
are also advised to avoid swimming at the "Grade 4" beaches
until the water quality has improved.
End/Friday,
August 10, 2001
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