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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 16) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 10 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Shek O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main 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, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2.
Moreover, Shek O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 4 to 2 from its last grading this Thursday (April 15).
"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 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. Nevertheless, the department has been closely monitoring the water quality of these beaches, and their recent monitoring data are published on the department's website.
People are advised not to swim at the closed beaches.
The 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 2009". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2009. More details can be found in the report via the link: www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/water/beach_quality/files/bwq_report2009.pdf.
Ends/Friday, April 16, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:31
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