| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental
Protection Department today (September 3) released the latest grading
of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 20 as
Good (Grade 1), 11 as Fair (Grade 2), one as Poor (Grade 3) and
one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. (S) indicates
a beach that is equipped with a shark net.
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Chung
Hom Kok Beach (S) |
| Kwun
Yam Beach (S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Trio Beach(S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
|
Pui O Beach (S) |
Butterfly
Beach (S) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
| Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
Cafeteria
Old Beach |
| Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
Golden
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
| Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
|
Grade 3 beach is
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S) and Grade 4 beach is Big Wave Bay Beach
(S).
Compared with the grading released last week, Silver Mine Bay Beach
has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 while Clear Water Bay First
Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Middle Bay Beach
have changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2 and Big Wave Bay Beach from Grade
2 to Grade 4.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation
of the bacteriological water quality of the beach ," a spokesman said.
"The very poor water quality of Big Wave Bay Beach is due to heavy
rain which flushed pollutants from the unsewered beach hinterland
into the water," he added.
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information
may also be obtained from the department's homepage at www.epd.gov.hk
or the beach hotline, 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 exceeded
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.
People are 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.
Ends/Friday, September 3, 2004
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