***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 8) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Twenty-four beaches were rated as good (grade 1) and nine were rated as fair (grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main 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
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Kadoorie 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 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 has been upgraded from grade 3 to grade 2.
Moreover, Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded to grade 2 from its last grading (grade 4) this Wednesday (October 6).
"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.
Ends/Friday, October 8, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:20
NNNN
