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Press Release

Grading of beach water quality released

The Environmental Protection Department today (May 2) released the latest grading of water quality at 33 beaches open to the public, rating 22 as Good (Grade 1), nine as Fair (Grade 2), two as Poor (Grade 3).

The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach while those with (S) are equipped with shark nets.

Grade 1 beaches are:

Lower Cheung Sha Beach Kiu Tsui Beach (S)
Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S) Trio Beach (S)
Discovery Bay* Big Wave Bay Beach (S)
Tong Fuk Beach (S) Deep Water Bay Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S) Hairpin Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S) Middle Bay Beach (S)
Kwun Yam Beach (S) Shek O Beach (S)
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) South Bay Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay First Beach (S) St. Stephen's Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S) Stanley Main Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S) Turtle Cove Beach (S)

Grade 2 beaches are:

Silver Mine Bay Beach (S) Cafeteria Old Beach
Silverstrand Beach (S) Cafeteria New Beach (S)
Butterfly Beach (S) Chung Hom Kok Beach (S)
Repulse Bay Beach (S) Pui O Beach (S)
Golden Beach (S)  

Grade 3 beaches are:

Kadoorie Beach (S) Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S)
   

A spokesman for the department said Golden Beach had upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2 and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 4 to Grade 3 last week.

"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," he said.

Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information may also be obtained from the department's homepage at http://www.epd.gov.hk or the beach hotline at 2511 6666.

Under the 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 exceeds a threshold figure, irrespective of the geometric mean. Swimmers are advised to avoid these beaches until the water quality improves.

Seven gazetted beaches - Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach, Ting Kau Beach, Casam Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Lido Beach - are closed to swimmers year round because of poor water quality.

The public is advised not to swim at these closed beaches.

The spokesman cautioned 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.

End/Friday, May 2, 2003

 
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