Press
Release
Grading
of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department today (June 30) released
the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public,
rating 11 as Good (Grade 1), 19 as Fair (Grade 2), one as Poor
(Grade 3) and two 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:
|
Chung Hom Kok Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S)
Deep Water Bay Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S) |
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
South Bay Beach (S)
Tong Fuk Beach (S)
Trio Beach (S)
Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S) |
Grade 2 beaches
are:
Butterfly Beach (S)
Cafeteria New Beach (S)
Cafeteria Old Beach (S)
Castle Peak Beach (S)
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay First Beach (S)
Discovery Bay*
Golden Beach (S)
Kadoorie Beach (S)
Kiu Tsui Beach (S) |
Kwun Yam Beach (S)
Pui O Beach (S)
Middle Bay Beach (S)
Repulse Bay Beach (S)
Shek O Beach (S)
Silver Mine Bay Beach (S)
Silverstrand Beach (S)
Stanley Main Beach (S)
Turtle Cove Beach (S) |
Grade 3 beach is:
Grade 4 beaches are:
St. Stephen's Beach (S)
|
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.
Compared with the grading released last week, Clear Water Bay Second Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, Middle Bay Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Discovery Bay, Kwun Yam Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, Big Wave Bay Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3, and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and St. Stephen's Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 4.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches except for Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and St. Stephen's Beach," an EPD spokesman said.
"The very poor water quality of Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and St. Stephen's Beach is most likely due to the recent heavy rain flushing pollutants from the beach hinterlands into the water," he added.
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 warned 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, June 30, 2005
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