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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 20) released the latest grading of water quality for 33 beaches.
Twenty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and eight were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach St Stephen's Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Trio Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Castle Peak Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Golden 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.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, Big Wave Bay Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Castle Peak Beach and Golden Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2.
Kiu Tsui Beach has been upgraded to Grade 2 from its last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (May 18).
"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.
Ends/Friday, May 20, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:01
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