The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 24) 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).
Twenty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 15 as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cafeteria New Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*
Discovery Bay
Golden Beach*
Hap Mun Bay Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*
Kadoorie Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach*
Repulse Bay Beach*
Shek O Beach*
Silverstrand Beach*
South Bay Beach*
St Stephen's Beach
Stanley Main Beach*
Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Tong Fuk Beach
Trio Beach*
Turtle Cove Beach
Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach
Approach Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach*
Butterfly Beach*
Cafeteria Old Beach
Casam Beach*
Castle Peak Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Lido Beach*
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Middle Bay Beach
Pui O Beach*
Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Ting Kau Beach*
Compared with the grading released last week, Silverstrand Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Anglers' Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
"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 23 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from September 10.
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
Ends/Friday, September 24, 2021
