***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 18) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Twenty-one beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 11 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Very Poor (Grade 4).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand 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
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Castle Peak Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Grade 4 beach is:
Big Wave Bay 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, Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Turtle Cove Beach has been upgraded from Grade 4 to Grade 1. Clear Water Bay First Beach and Kiu Tsui Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, while Big Wave Bay Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 4.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches, except for Big Wave Bay Beach," an EPD spokesman said.
"The very poor water quality of Big Wave Bay Beach is likely due to the previous heavy rain which flushed pollutants from the beach hinterland into the water," he added.
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, Casam Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Lido Beach and Ting Kau 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.
Ends/Friday, June 18, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:49
NNNN
