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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 21) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Thirty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and three were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Butterfly Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan 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 Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Golden Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Cafeteria Old Beach Kadoorie Beach
Castle Peak 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.beachwq.gov.hk or 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 1. Cafeteria Old Beach, Castle Peak Beach and Kadoorie 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 beaches," 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.
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 already published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2010". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2010 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, April 21, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:02
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