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Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 6) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.

     Twenty-six beaches were rated as good (grade 1) and seven were rated as fair (grade 2).

Grade 1 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach            Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach    Middle Bay 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          Silverstrand Beach  
Discovery Bay*                South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach             St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach          Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach                Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach                Trio Beach  
Lo So Shing Beach             Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach        Upper Cheung Sha Beach
   
Grade 2 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach               Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach           Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach           Shek O 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, Butterfly Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Castle Peak Beach, Golden 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 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.

     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, May 6, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:03

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