| Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection
Department today (September 10) released the latest grading of water
quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 18 as Good (Grade
1) and 15 as Fair (Grade 2).
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:
| Kwun
Yam Beach (S) |
Chung
Hom Kok Beach (S) |
| Hung
Shing Yeh Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
Trio Beach(S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Big
Wave Bay Beach (S) |
| Pui O Beach
(S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Hairpin
Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Golden
Beach (S) |
Ma Wan
Tung Wan Beach (S) |
| Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
|
Compared with the
grading released last week, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Kiu Tsui Beach
have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
from Grade 3 to Grade 2 and Big Wave Bay Beach from Grade 4 to Grade
2 while Deep Water Bay Beach, Hairpin Beach, Shek O Beach and Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach have changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation
of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," a spokesman said.
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 10, 2004
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