The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 9) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).
Eighteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 as Fair (Grade 2) and three as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cafeteria Old Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Repulse Bay Beach*
Shek O Beach*
South Bay Beach
Stanley Main Beach*
St Stephen's Beach
Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Trio Beach
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach*
Butterfly Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach
Casam Beach*
Castle Peak Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*
Discovery Bay
Golden Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Lido Beach*
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Middle Bay Beach
Pui O Beach
Silverstrand Beach*
Tong Fuk Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Approach Beach
Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Ting Kau Beach
Compared with the grading released last week, Castle Peak Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Butterfly Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Golden Beach and Kadoorie Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Approach Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3
“The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), 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.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 17 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from June 23.
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
Ends/Friday, July 9, 2021
