***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department today (June 19) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Sixteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 17 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Stanley Main Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Trio Beach
Pui O Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Repulse Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Golden Beach
Butterfly Beach Hap Mun Bay Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Castle Peak Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay*
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 website (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) on Beach Water Quality or the beach hotline 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Big Wave Bay Beach, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Discovery Bay, Hap Mun Bay Beach, Middle Bay Beach and Shek O Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," an EPD spokesman said.
Under our 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, Casam Beach, Gemini Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Lido Beach and Ting Kau Beach - are closed to swimmers year round because of poor water quality.
People are advised not to swim at the 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 19, 2009
Issued at HKT 14:00
NNNN
