Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (April 1) released
the latest grading of water quality of 32 beaches open to the public,
rating 22 as Good (Grade 1), nine as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor
(Grade 3).
The beach with
an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. (S) indicates a beach that
is equipped with shark net.
Grade 1 beaches
are:
| Cheung
Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) |
Deep Water
Bay Beach (S) |
| Kwun Yam
Beach (S) |
Middle
Bay Beach (S) |
| Hung Shing
Yeh Beach (S) |
Repulse
Bay Beach (S) |
| Lo So Shing
Beach (S) |
Shek O
Beach (S) |
| Pui O Beach
(S) |
South Bay
Beach (S) |
| Lower Cheung
Sha Beach |
Stanley
Main Beach (S) |
| Tong Fuk
Beach (S) |
St. Stephen's
Beach (S) |
| Upper Cheung
Sha Beach (S) |
Turtle
Cove Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay First Beach (S) |
Kiu Tsui
Beach (S) |
| Clear Water
Bay Second Beach (S) |
Trio Beach
(S) |
| Hap Mun
Bay Beach (S) |
Discovery
Bay* |
| |
|
| Grade 2
beaches are: |
|
| Butterfly
Beach (S) |
Big Wave
Bay Beach (S) |
| Kadoorie
Beach (S) |
Chung Hom
Kok Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
New Beach (S) |
Silver
Mine Bay Beach (S) |
| Cafeteria
Old Beach |
Silverstrand
Beach (S) |
| Golden
Beach (S) |
|
Grade 3 beach
is Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S).
Beach grades
are published weekly before the weekend. The information may also
be obtained from the department's website 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,
April 1, 2005
|
