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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 9) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
20 beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 12 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Pui O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silverstrand Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. Latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's websiteĦ@(www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) on Beach Water Quality or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Lower Cheung Sha Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1 and Upper Cheung Sha Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to 2.
"The change is generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," the EPD spokesman said.
Under the present 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 the closed beaches.
An EPD 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.
Meanwhile, the department has published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2008". The report summarises the state of the waters around Hong Kong's beaches in 2008. More details can be found in the report via the link: www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/water/beach_quality/files/bwq_report2008.pdf .
Ends/Thursday, April 9, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:01
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